A class or group of animals, particularly rodents, that gnaw or nibble, named from their gnawing characteristics.
From Latin 'corrodentia,' the present participle of 'corrodere' applied to animals. This scientific classification term uses the gnawing metaphor to categorize creatures whose teeth never stop growing.
Scientists named an entire animal group after gnawing because rodents like rats and beavers literally cannot stop their teeth from growing—they must chew constantly or their teeth would become useless, making 'gnawers' the perfect scientific name!
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