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Nesomyidae

{{Short description|Family of rodents}}

{{automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Late Oligocene|Recent}}

| image = malagasy.giant.rat.arp.jpg

| taxon = Nesomyidae

| authority = Major, 1897

| type_genus = Nesomys

| type_genus_authority = Peters, 1870

| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies

| subdivision = Cricetomyinae

Delanymyinae

Dendromurinae

Mystromyinae

Nesomyinae

Petromyscinae

}}

The Nesomyidae are a family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are Malagasy rodents, climbing mice, African rock mice, swamp mice, pouched rats, and the white-tailed rat.

Characteristics

Nesomyids are small- to medium-sized rodents, with the largest being the size of a rat. Physically, they may resemble mice, rats, voles, or hamsters, depending on the species and subfamily. Their diets vary from fairly strict herbivory to nearly pure insectivory. Their habits are similarly variable, with some species climbing trees, and others burrowing in the ground. They give birth to up to four young after a gestation period around six weeks.{{cite book|editor= Macdonald, D.|author= Corbet, Gordon|year= 1984|title= The Encyclopedia of Mammals|publisher= Facts on File|location= New York|pages= [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/666 666–670]|isbn= 0-87196-871-1|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/666}}

Classification

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.{{cn|date=February 2019}} 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.{{cite journal |last1= Michaux |first1= Johan |last2= Reyes |first2= Aurelio |last3= Catzefelis |first3= François |date= November 2001 |title= Evolutionary history of the most speciose mammals: molecular phylogeny of muroid rodents |journal= Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume= 18 |issue= 11 |pages= 2017–2031 |doi= 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003743|pmid= 11606698 |doi-access= free }}

Nesomyids are classified in six subfamilies, 21 genera, and 68 species.

FAMILY NESOMYIDAE

References

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{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite journal |last1= Jansa |first1= Sharon A. |last2= Weksler |first2= Marcelo |date= April 2004 |title= Phylogeny of muroid rodents: relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences |journal= Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume= 31 |issue= 1 |pages= 256–276 |doi= 10.1016/j.ympev.2003.07.002|pmid= 15019624 }}
  • {{cite journal |last1= Steppan |first1= Scott J. |last2= Adkins |first2= Ronald M. |last3= Anderson |first3= Joel |date= August 2004 |title= Phylogeny and divergence-date estimates of rapid radiations in muroid rodents based on multiple nuclear genes |journal= Systematic Biology |volume= 53 |issue= 4 |pages= 533–553 |doi= 10.1080/10635150490468701|pmid= 15371245 }}

{{Rodents}}

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Category:Rodent families

 

Category:Extant Miocene first appearances

Category:Taxa named by Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major