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Sciurus

{{Short description|Genus of rodents}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Middle Miocene|Recent}}

| image = Red squirrel (21808).jpg

| image_caption = Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

| taxon = Sciurus

| authority = Linnaeus, 1758

| type_species = Sciurus vulgaris

| type_species_authority =

Linnaeus, 1758

| subdivision_ranks = Subgenera

| subdivision =

Tenes

Sciurus

Hesperosciurus

Otosciurus

Guerlinguetus

Hadrosciurus

Urosciurus

}}

The genus Sciurus ({{IPAc-en|s|aɪ|ˈ|jʊər|ə|s}} or {{IPAc-en|s|I|'|j|u:|r|@|s}}) contains most of the common, bushy-tailed squirrels in North America, Europe, temperate Asia, Central America and South America.{{MSW3 Sciuridae | id = 12400066 | pages = 758–765 | heading = Genus Sciurus}}

Species

The number of species in the genus is subject to change.

In 2005, Thorington & Hoffman- whose taxonomic interpretation is followed by the IUCN website- accepted 28 species in the genus:{{Efn|Most squirrel assessments were written in 2008, despite most being dated 2016/2017}}

Genus Sciurus

File:Sciurus granatensis Humboldt 1811.jpg]]

In 2015, 15–17 species were left in the genus Sciurus after de Vivo & Carmignotto comprehensively reviewed South American Sciuridae for the first time in many decades and proposed numerous changes; synonymising some species and many subspecies, splitting another species, and naming new species. They followed Joel Asaph Allen's unsatisfying 1914 attempt in splitting the genus Sciurus by raising the South American subgenera to the rank of genus, adding Urosciurus to Hadrosciurus, and splitting the genus Guerlinguetus in three. Their taxonomic treatment might also require Sciurus deppei to be moved to Notosciurus.{{cite book |last1=de Vivo |first1=Mario |last2=Carmignotto |first2=Ana Paula |date=January 2015 |chapter=Family Sciuridae G. Fischer, 1817 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273129157 |editor1-last=Patton |editor1-first=James L. |editor2-last=Pardiñas |editor2-first=Ulyses F.J. |editor3-last=D'Elía |editor3-first=Guillermo |title=Mammals of South America Volume 2, Rodents |url=https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo18553844.html |edition=1 |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=1–48 |doi=10.7208/chicago/9780226169606.001.0001 |isbn=978-0226169576 |access-date=11 August 2018}}

A 2020 paper published on the taxonomy of Sciurinae split Sciurus into multiple new genera and elevated several subgenera. The paper included genetic sampling from almost all recognized species and recommends the following species assignments:{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1186/s12862-020-01639-y|title = Museomics of tree squirrels: A dense taxon sampling of mitogenomes reveals hidden diversity, phenotypic convergence, and the need of a taxonomic overhaul|year = 2020|last1 = De Abreu-Jr|first1 = Edson Fiedler|last2 = Pavan|first2 = Silvia E.|last3 = Tsuchiya|first3 = Mirian T. N.|last4 = Wilson|first4 = Don E.|last5 = Percequillo|first5 = Alexandre R.|last6 = Maldonado|first6 = Jesús E.|journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume = 20|issue = 1|page = 77|pmid = 32590930|pmc = 7320592|s2cid = 220071854 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2020BMCEE..20...77D }}

Additionally, the paper suggests moving Andean squirrel back to subtribe Microsciurina, the dwarf squirrels, and assigns it to the newly described genus Leptosciurus. The paper's findings agree with prior assessments to synonymize Richmond's squirrel into Red-tailed squirrel and reassigns the Red-tailed squirrel into the previously monotypic Asian genus Syntheosciurus, also in Microsciurina. The paper did not include genetic sampling or taxonomic suggestions for gilvigularis, meridionalis, sanborni, or flammifer.

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{BookReferenceDuffLawsonMammals}}
  • Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. {{ISBN|0-8018-5789-9}}
  • Eisenberg, J.F. 1989. "[http://www.press.uchicago.edu/presssite/metadata.epl?mode=synopsis&bookkey=3629180 Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 1: The Northern Neotropics: Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}". University of Chicago Press.
  • Redford, K.H. and Eisenberg, J.F. 1992. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=HGYaHxXVmegC Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 2: The Southern Cone: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay]". University of Chicago Press.
  • Eisenberg, J.F. and Redford, K.H. 1999. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=p2MDAzCeQQoC Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil]". University of Chicago Press.

Footnotes

{{Commons|Sciurus}}

{{Wikispecies|Sciurus}}

{{Notelist}}

{{S. Sciurinae1 nav}}

{{Sciuromorpha|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q281124}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Rodent genera

Category:Extant Miocene first appearances

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

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