Blunt-toothed giant hutia
species of mammal (fossil)
The blunt-toothed giant hutia (Amblyrhiza inundata) is an extinct species of giant hutia from Anguilla and Saint Martin that is estimated to have weighed between 50 and 200 kg (110 and 440 lb). It was discovered by Edward Drinker Cope in 1868 in a sample of phosphate sediments mined in an unknown cave (possibly Cavannagh Cave) in Anguilla and sent to Philadelphia to estimate the value of the sediments. It is the sole species of the genus Amblyrhiza in the fossil family Heptaxodontidae.
Some authors have suggested that its extinction may have resulted from overhunting by pre-Columbian humans. However, it is unknown whether this species was contemporaneous with human populations. Fossil specimens discovered at the end of the 20th century on Anguilla have been dated to the last interstadial period, while very recent discoveries made on Coco Islet (Saint-Barthélemy) are dated to 400,000 - 500,000 years; no bone has been recovered yet from a pre-Columbian archaeological site. Despite being described as a "giant hutia", it has recently been recovered as a member of the Chinchilloidea.
Description
Paleontologist A. R. Biknevicius and his team have estimated body size for Amblyrhiza inundata based upon 5 femora and 9 humeri from adult Amblyrhiza remains. They concluded based upon these specimens that Amblyrhiza ranged from just under 50 kg in mass to over 200 kg in mass. These calculations were based on comparisons with extant caviomorphs of 16 different species.
“Blunt-toothed giant hutia” enters the record as species of mammal (fossil). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Blunt-toothed, giant and hutia can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Blunt-toothed giant hutia” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Blunt-toothed, giant and hutia provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 1, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q1768293. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1868.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Blunt-toothed giant hutia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Blunt-toothed giant hutia primary sources, Blunt-toothed giant hutia archive and Blunt-toothed research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Blunt-toothed giant hutia”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Blunt-toothed giant hutia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.