Nesomyidae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iNesomyids
Fossil range: Middle Miocene - Recent

Image:Malagasy.giant.rat.arp.jpg

Hypogeomys antimena

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Nesomyidae Major, 1897

Subfamilies

Cricetomyinae
Dendromurinae
Mystromyinae
Nesomyinae
Petromyscinae

Nesomyidae is a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which have an African or Malagasy in distribution. Included in this family are Malagasy rats and mice, climbing mice, African rock mice, swamp mice, pouched rats, and the white-tailed rat.

Many of these animals were once thought to be related to other groups of muroid rodents, but this African-based clade has been proposed and confirmed on the basis of genetic studies. Such alternate arrangement include the pouched rats in the family Muridae, and the white-tailed rat in the family Cricetidae. Likewise, all members of the Nesomyidae are often placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the Muroidea.

The Nesomyids are classified in 5 subfamilies, 22 genera and 55 species.

[edit] Subfamilies

Cricetomyinae (pouched rats)
Dendromurinae (climbing mice)
Mystromyinae (white-tailed rat)
Nesomyinae (Malagasy rats and mice)
Petromyscinae (African rock mice and swamp mice)

[edit] References

Jansa, S. A. and M. Weksler. 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