Chacoan mara the capybara, and guinea pigs. Chacoan maras are closely related to the other member of the genus "Dolichotis", the Patagonian mara. Maras are the fourth largest rodent in the world after the capybaras, beavers and porcupines . Though the mara may look like a rabbit, the rabbit is not actually a rodent and therefore not as closely related to the mara as one might expect. Chacoan mara The Chacoan mara, Dolichotis salinicola, is a relatively large South American rodent of the cavy family. They are a close relative of the better known Patagonian mara. The Chacoan mara lives in the
Guinea pig maximisation test Guinea pig maximisation test The Guinea pig maximisation test (GPMT) is an "in vivo" test to screen for substances that cause human skin sensitisation (i.e. allergens). It was first proposed by B. Magnusson and Albert Kligman in 1969 and described in their 1970 book "Allergic Contact Dermatitis in the Guinea Pig" The test animals are exposed intradermally to the test material, along with an adjuvant to enhance the immune reaction of the guinea pig. The guinea pigs are then a short while later exposed to a lower concentration of the test material, and their allergic reaction, if any, measured. 15%