| Coryphomys | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Murinae |
| Genus: | †Coryphomys Schaub, 1937 |
| Species | |
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Coryphomys is an extinct genus of rats, known from sub-fossils found on Timor. Species include Coryphomys buhleri and Coryphomys musseri.[1] Archaeological research on East Timor has revealed the bones of rats weighting up to 6 kilograms = 13.2 pounds when adult. They seem to have died out between 1000 and 2000 years ago, perhaps due to large-scale forest clearance for farming.
Its name is Greek for "top-of-the-head mouse" or "summit mouse".