Editing Capybara (section)

==Classification and phylogeny==
The capybara and the [[lesser capybara]] both belong to the subfamily [[Hydrochoerinae]] along with the [[Kerodon|rock cavies]]. The living capybaras and their extinct relatives were previously classified in their own family Hydrochoeridae.<ref name=r4/> Since 2002, molecular phylogenetic studies have recognized a close relationship between ''Hydrochoerus'' and ''[[Kerodon]]'', the rock cavies,<ref name="Rowe 2002"/> supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily of [[Caviidae]].<ref name=msw3/>

Paleontological classifications previously used Hydrochoeridae for all capybaras, while using Hydrochoerinae for the living genus and its closest fossil relatives, such as ''[[Neochoerus]]'',<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/><ref name="Deschamp 2007"/> but more recently have adopted the classification of Hydrochoerinae within Caviidae.<ref name="Cerdeño 2019">{{cite journal|last1=Cerdeño |first1=E. |last2=Pérez |first2=M.E. |last3=Deschamps |first3=C.M. |last4=Contreras |first4=V.H. |year=2019 |title=A new capybara from the late Miocene of San Juan Province, Argentina, and its phylogenetic implications |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=199–212 |doi=10.4202/app.00544.2018|doi-access=free |hdl=11336/117299 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The taxonomy of fossil hydrochoerines is also in a state of flux. In recent years, the diversity of fossil hydrochoerines has been substantially reduced.<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/><ref name="Deschamp 2007"/> This is largely due to the recognition that capybara molar teeth show strong variation in shape over the life of an individual. In one instance, material once referred to four genera and seven species on the basis of differences in molar shape is now thought to represent differently aged individuals of a single species, ''Cardiatherium paranense''.<ref name="Vucetich 2005"/>
Among fossil species, the name "capybara" can refer to the many species of Hydrochoerinae that are more closely related to the modern ''Hydrochoerus'' than to the "cardiomyine" rodents like ''Cardiomys''. The fossil genera ''Cardiatherium'', ''Phugatherium'', ''Hydrochoeropsis'', and ''Neochoerus'' are all capybaras under that concept.<ref name="Cerdeño 2019" />