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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ 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

___________________________ 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