Muridae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iMurids
Fossil range: Early Miocene - Recent

Black Rat (Rattus rattus)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Muridae Illiger, 1811

Subfamilies

Deomyinae
Gerbillinae
Lophiomyinae
Murinae

Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives.

The family name Muridae is sometimes used in a broader sense to include all members of the superfamily Muroidea.

The Murids are classified in 4 subfamilies, around 140 genera and approximately 650 species.

[edit] Subfamilies

Deomyinae (spiny mice, brush furred mice, link rat)
Gerbillinae (gerbils, jirds and sand rats)
Lophiomyinae (Crested Rat)
Murinae (Old World rats and mice including the vlei rats)

[edit] References

Jansa, S. A. and M. Weksler. 2004. Phylogeny of muroid rodents: relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:256-276.
Michaux, J., A. Reyes, and F. Catzeflis. 2001. Evolutionary history of the most speciose mammals: molecular phylogeny of muroid rodents. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 17:280-293.
Steppan, S. J., R. A. Adkins, and J. Anderson. 2004. Phylogeny and divergence date estimates of rapid radiations in muroid rodents based on multiple nuclear genes. Systematic Biology, 53:533-553.

Rodent Families
Sciuromorpha: †Allomyidae \| Aplodontiidae \| †Mylagaulidae \| †Reithroparamyidae \| Sciuridae \| Gliridae
Castorimorpha: †Eutypomyidae \| Castoridae \| †Rhizospalacidae \| †Eomyidae \| †Heliscomyidae \| †Mojavemyidae \| Heteromyidae \| Geomyidae
Myomorpha: †Armintomidae \| Dipodidae \| Zapodidae \| †Anomalomyidae \| †Simimyidae \| Platacanthomyidae \| Spalacidae \| Calomyscidae \| Nesomyidae \| Cricetidae \| Muridae
Anomaluromorpha: Anomaluridae \| †Parapedetidae \| Pedetidae
Hystricomorpha: †Tamquammyidae \| Ctenodactylidae \| Diatomyidae \| †Yuomyidae \| †Chapattimyidae \| †Tsaganomyidae \| †"Baluchimyinae" \| †Bathyergoididae \| Bathyergidae \| Hystricidae \| †Myophiomyidae \| †Diamantomyidae \| †Phiomyidae \| †Kenyamyidae \| Petromuridae \| Thryonomyidae \| Erethizontidae \| Chinchillidae \| Dinomyidae \| Caviidae \| Dasyproctidae \| †Eocardiidae \| Cuniculidae \| Ctenomyidae \| Octodontidae \| †Neoepiblemidae \| Abrocomidae \| Echimyidae \| Myocastoridae \| Capromyidae \| †Heptaxodontidae
Prehistoric rodents (incertae sedis): †Eurymylidae \| †Cocomyidae \| †Alagomyidae \| †Ivanantoniidae \| †Laredomyidae \| †Ischyromyidae \| †Theridomyidae \| †Protoptychidae \| †Zegdoumyidae \| †Sciuravidae \| †Cylindrodontidae
† indicates extinct taxa