| Ondatrini Temporal range: Early Pliocene - present, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Tribe: | Ondatrini Gray, 1825 |
| Genera | |
Ondatrini is a tribe of semiaquatic rodents in the family Arvicolinae. They are known as muskrats. They are related to voles and lemmings. [1]
It contains two extant species, each in their own genus, both of which are native to North America: [2]
Of these, the muskrat (O. zibethicus) is found throughout North America aside from the warmer or drier regions, and has been introduced to Eurasia. The round-tailed muskrat (N. alleni) is only found in Florida and adjacent Georgia, just outside of the range of O. zibethicus. Some authorities place both genera in different tribes (Ondatrini for Ondatra, Neofibrini for Neofiber), but the American Society of Mammalogists places both in Ondatrini, and some molecular evidence supports a close relation between both genera. [3] [4] Some phylogenetic evidence indicates that Balkan snow vole (Dinaromys bogdanovi) may also be a member of the Ondatrini, but this is uncertain and it is still classified in the Pliomyini by the ASM. [3] [5] [6]
Ondatrini likely descends from a lineage of Siberian voles that invaded North America about 5 million years ago. The earliest fossils from this tribe are of fossil Ondatra from the early Pliocene. The Pliocene fossil taxa Ogmodontomys and Cosomys , both from North America, are likely also members of this tribe. The Plio-Pleistocene fossil taxa Dolomys , Pliomys (of the tribe Pliomyini) and Kislangia from Eurasia have also been classified in this group by some authorities, but this has been disputed. [6]
A 2021 phylogenetic study found Ondatrini to form the sister group to the Dicrostonychini (defined as including the members of both Dicrostonychini sensu stricto and Phenacomyini). [7]
The Muroidea are a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Some authorities have placed all members of this group into a single family, Muridae, due to difficulties in determining how the subfamilies are related to one another. Many of the families within the Muroidea superfamily have more variations between the families than between the different clades. A possible explanation for the variations in rodents is because of the location of these rodents; these changes could have been due to radiation or the overall environment they migrated to or originated in. The following taxonomy is based on recent well-supported molecular phylogenies.
The muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. It has important effects on the ecology of wetlands, and is a resource of food and fur for humans.
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and has members throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
The Eumuroida are a clade defined in 2004 by Steppan et al. that includes rats, mice and related species, though not all rodents; in other words, a specific group of muroid rodents. The clade is not defined in the standard taxonomic hierarchy, but it is between superfamily and family.
The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae. Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. Some refer to the subfamily as the Microtinae or rank the taxon as a full family, the Arvicolidae.
Lemmini is a tribe of lemmings in the subfamily Arvicolinae. Species in this tribe are:
Zapodidae, the jumping mice, is a family of mouse-like rodents in North America and China.
The water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. A water vole found in Western North America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genus Microtus. Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm, tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm, and their weights are 70–250 g. The animals may exhibit indeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.
Chionomys is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
The WestSiberian lemming or Western Siberian brown lemming is a true lemming species found in the Russian Federation. Like other lemmings, it belongs to the Cricetidae family of rodents.
The round-tailed muskrat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, sometimes called the Florida water rat. The species is monotypic in the genus Neofiber. It is found only in the southeastern United States, where its natural habitat is swamps.
Arvicolini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
Dicrostonychini is a tribe of lemmings in the subfamily Arvicolinae. It contains only one extant genus, as well as one extinct genus.
Alexandromys is a genus of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae, formerly a subgenus of the genus Microtus. Species in this genus are:
Listrophorus is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Listrophoridae. North American species with their hosts include:
Lagurus is a genus in the subfamily Arvicolinae. Lagurus includes a single living species, the steppe lemming of central Eurasia. The North American sagebrush vole has also been included in Lagurus, but is likely not closely related. The earliest fossils of Lagurus, allocated to Lagurus arankae, appear in the Late Pliocene. Two other fossil species, Lagurus pannonicus and Lagurus transiens, are thought to be part of a lineage that led to the living steppe lemming.
Echimyinae is a subfamily of rodents belonging to the spiny rats family Echimyidae. It contains 14 arboreal genera—all the members of the tribe Echimyini, plus Callistomys—a few terrestrial genera, and a subaquatic genus (Myocastor).
Phenacomyini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae. It contains five species in two genera, all of which are found in North America.
Lagurini is a tribe of lemmings in the subfamily Arvicolinae. It contains three species in two genera. Species in this tribe are known as steppe lemmings.
Microtini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
