ars ▁have ▁three . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁A pe om yo ides ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁E omy idae , ▁a ▁diverse ▁rod ent ▁family ▁that ▁is ▁now ▁ext inct . ▁E omy ids ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁E oc ene ▁( ~ 4 7 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁my a ) ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁where ▁they ▁existed ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Mi oc ene ▁( ~ 5 ▁my a ). ▁In ▁Europe , ▁they ▁surv ived ▁a ▁little ▁longer , ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁P li oc ene ▁( ~ 2 – 3 ▁my a ). ▁A pe om yo ides ▁is ▁further ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁subgroup ▁of ▁e omy ids ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁A pe omy inae . ▁The ▁first ▁a pe omy ine ▁to ▁be ▁discovered ▁was ▁A pe om ys ▁t uer k he ima e , ▁named ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁based ▁on ▁foss ils ▁from ▁the ▁Early ▁Mi oc ene ▁of ▁Germany , ▁and ▁later ▁discover ies ▁have ▁expanded ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁A pe om ys ▁and ▁similar ▁tax a . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Old ř ich ▁Fe j far ▁and ▁colle agues ▁review ed ▁A pe om ys ▁and ▁identified ▁a ▁second , ▁related ▁genus ▁M ega pe om ys , ▁from ▁the ▁Early ▁Mi oc ene ▁of ▁Germany , ▁the ▁Czech ▁Republic , ▁and ▁Japan . ▁These ▁scient ists ▁also ▁named ▁a ▁new ▁e omy id ▁sub family , ▁A pe