Dasyprocta fossil map
Where fossils of Dasyprocta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 2.58 million years ago to the present (Gelasian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Dasyproctidae |
| Named by | Illiger 1811 |
| Fossil records | 30 occurrences at 15 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Panama |
| Rock formations | txn:42082 |
About Dasyprocta
The agouti (, ə-GOO-tee) or common agouti is any of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta, from Ancient Greek δασύς (dasús), meaning "hair", and πρωκτός (prōktós), meaning "anus". They are native to Central America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies and in west Africa (Bénin). They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar, but they are larger and have longer legs. The species vary considerably in colour, being brown, reddish, dull orange, greyish, or blackish, but typically with lighter underparts. Their bodies are covered with coarse hair, which is raised when alarmed.
The related pacas were formerly included in genus Agouti, but these animals were reclassified in 1998 as genus Cuniculus.
The Spanish term is agutí. In Mexico, the agouti is called the sereque. In Panama, it is known as the ñeque and in eastern Ecuador, as the guatusa.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Agouti (revision 1373902713), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q193966.
