Oryzomys antillarum, the Jamaican rice rat, is an extinct rodent known
from subfossils and specimens collected live in the 19th century. It
probably became extinct late in that century, perhaps due to the
introduction of the small Indian mongoose, competition with introduced
rodents such as the brown rat, and habitat destruction in Jamaica.
O. antillarum was a medium-sized rat, with a length of 120 to 132 mm
(4.7 to 5.2 in), not including the tail; the skull was about 30 mm
(1.2 in) long. The upperparts were reddish and graded into the
yellowish underparts. The tail was about as long as the head and body,
sparsely haired, and darker above than below. The species was similar in
most respects to the rice rat Oryzomys couesi of mainland Central
America, but had longer nasal bones, shorter perforations of the palate
near the incisors, and more robust cheekbones. (This article is part of
a featured topic: Oryzomys.).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Oryzomys>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1851:
William Lassell found Umbriel and Ariel, the third and fourth
Uranian moons to be discovered.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_%28moon%29>
1944:
World War II: The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the
heaviest and most powerfully armed ever constructed, was sunk by
American aircraft during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Musashi>
1949:
The cornerstone of the United Nations headquarters was laid in
New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headquarters_of_the_United_Nations>
2015:
Lam Wing-kee, the owner of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong,
known for publishing political books banned in mainland China, was
abducted by Chinese authorities.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causeway_Bay_Books_disappearances>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
aubade:
1. (music, poetry) A poem or song evoking or greeting the dawn or early
morning.
2. (music, specifically) A morning love song, or a song of lovers
parting in the morning.
3. (music) A concert held at dawn or in the morning, especially
outdoors.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aubade>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Prepare your mind and heart before you prepare your speech. What
we say may be less important than how we say it.
--Stephen Covey
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey>
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