Muridae
| Murids | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missing image Blackrat.jpg Black Rat (Rattus rattus) | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Subfamilies | ||||||||||||
|
See text |
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.
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)
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.