Murinae

TheOld World rats and mice,part of thesubfamilyMurinaein thefamilyMuridae,comprise at least 519 species. Members of this subfamily are calledmurines.In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than allmammalfamilies except theCricetidaeandMuridae,and is larger than allmammalordersexcept thebatsand the remainder of therodents.

Old World rats and mice Temporal range: MiddleMiocene– recent,
Mus musculus,the house mouse
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Subfamily:	Murinae Illiger,1811
Genera
Abditomys Abeomelomys Aethomys Anisomys Anonymomys †Antemus †Anthracomys Apodemus Apomys Archboldomys Arvicanthis Baiyankamys Bandicota Batomys †Beremendimys Berylmys Bullimus Bunomys †Canariomys Carpomys †Castillomys †Castromys †Chardinomys Chingawaemys Chiromyscus Chiropodomys Chiruromys Chrotomys Coccymys Colomys Congomys Conilurus †Coryphomys Crateromys Crossomys Cremnomys Crunomys Dacnomys Dasymys Dephomys Desmomys †Dilatomys Diomys Diplothrix Echiothrix Eropeplus †Euryotomys Golunda Gracilimus Grammomys Hadromys Haeromys Halmaheramys Hapalomys Heimyscus †Hooijeromys †Huaxiamys †Huerzelerimys Hybomys Hydromys Hylomyscus Hyomys Hyorhinomys Kadarsanomys †Karnimata Komodomys †Kritimys Lamottemys Leggadina Lemniscomys Lenomys Lenothrix Leopoldamys Leporillus Leptomys Limnomys Lorentzimys Macruromys Madromys Malacomys Mallomys †Malpaisomys Mammelomys Margaretamys Mastacomys Mastomys Maxomys Melasmothrix Melomys Mesembriomys Microhydromys Micromys †Mikrotia Millardia Mirzamys Montemys Muriculus Musseromys Mus Mylomys Myomyscus Myotomys Nesokia Nesoromys Nilopegamys Niviventer Notomys Ochromyscus Oenomys †Orientalomys Otomys Palawanomys †Paraethomys †Parapodemus Papagomys Parahydromys Paraleptomys Paramelomys Parotomys †Parapelomys Paucidentomys Paruromys Paulamys Pelomys Phloeomys Pithecheir Pithecheirops Pogonomelomys Pogonomys Praomys †Progonomys Protochromys †Qianomys Pseudohydromys Pseudomys †Ratchaburimys Rattus Rhabdomys †Rhagamys †Rhagapodemus Rhynchomys †Saidomys Saxatilomys Serengetimys Solomys Sommeromys Soricomys †Spelaeomys Srilankamys Stenocephalemys †Stephanomys Stochomys Sundamys Taeromys Tarsomys Tateomys Thallomys Thamnomys Tokudaia Tonkinomys Tryphomys Uromys Vandeleuria Vernaya Waiomys †Wushanomys Xenuromys Xeromys †Yunomys Zelotomys Zyzomys

"Murine" redirects here. Not to be confused withMurrinethe art glass technique.

Description

The Murinae are native toAfrica,Europe,Asia,andAustralia.They areterrestrialplacentalmammals.They have also beenintroducedto all continents exceptAntarctica,and are serious pest animals. This is particularly true in island communities where they have contributed to theendangermentandextinctionof many native animals.

Two prominent murine species have become vitallaboratory animals:thebrown ratandhouse mouseare both used as medical subjects.

The murines have a distinctivemolarpattern that involves three rows ofcuspsinstead of two, the primitive pattern seen most frequently inmuroid rodents.

Fossils

The first known appearance of the Murinae in thefossilrecord is about14 million years agowith the fossil genusAntemus.Antemusis thought to derive directly fromPotwarmus,which has a more primitive tooth pattern. Likewise, two genera,ProgonomysandKarnimata,are thought to derive directly fromAntemus.Progonomysis thought to be the ancestor ofMusand relatives, whileKarnimatawas previously thought to lead toRattusand relatives, although it is now thought to be a member of the extant tribePraomyini.All of these fossils are found in the well-preserved and easily datedSiwalikfossil beds ofPakistan.The transition fromPotwarmustoAntemustoProgonomysandKarnimatais considered an excellent example ofanagenic evolution.

Taxonomy

Most of the Murinae have been poorly studied. Some genera have been grouped, such as the hydromyine water rats, conilurine or pseudomyine Australian mice, or the phloeomyineSoutheast Asianforms. It appears as if genera from Southeast Asian islands and Australia may be early offshoots compared to mainland forms. Thevlei ratsin the generaOtomysandParotomysare often placed in a separate subfamily, Otomyinae, but have been shown to be closely related to African murines in spite of their uniqueness.

Three genera,Uranomys,Lophuromys,andAcomys,were once considered to be murines, but were found to be more closely related togerbilsthroughmolecular phylogenetics.They have been assigned a new subfamily status,Deomyinae.

Molecular phylogenetic studies of Murinae include Lecompte, et al. (2008),which analyzes African murine species based on the mitochondrialcytochrome bgene and two nuclear gene fragments. Lecompte, et al. (2008) estimates that African murines colonized Africa from Asia approximately 11 million years ago during theMiocene.

The followingphylogenyof 16 Murinaegenera,based onmolecular phylogeneticanalysis of theInterphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein(IRBP) gene, is from Jansa & Weksler (2004: 264).

Murinae	Phloeomys Micromys Maxomys Niviventer Sundamys Rattus Rhynchomys Otomys Aethomys Rhabdomys Grammomys Tokudaia Mus Mastomys Praomys Hylomyscus

Distribution

The following is a list of Murinae genus divisions ordered by the continents that they are endemic to. Most of the diversity is located inSoutheast AsiaandAustralasia.

• Africa
  • Aethomys division – 1 genus
  • Arvicanthis division – 6 genera
  • Colomys division – 3 genera
  • Dasymys division – 8 genera
  • Hybomys division – 3 genera
  • Malacomys division – 1 genus
  • Oenomys division – 5 genea
  • Otomyinidivision/tribe – 3 genera
• Eurasia
  • Apodemus division – 2 genera
  • Micromys division – 6 genera
  • GenusMus
• South Asia
  • Golunda division – 1 genus
  • Millardia division – 4 genera
• Southeast Asia
  • Dacnomys division – 8 genera
  • Hadromys division – 1 genus
  • Maxomys division – 1 genus
  • Pithecheir division – 6 genera
  • Rattus division – 21 genera
• Philippines
  • Chrotomys division – 5 genera
  • Crunomys division – 2 genera
  • Phloeomys division – 4 genera
  • GenusMusseromys
• Sulawesi
  • Crunomys division – 2 genera
  • Echiothrix division – 1 genus
  • Melasmothrix division – 2 genera
• Moluccas
  • Halmaheramys division – 1 genus
• New Guinea
  • Hydromys division – 6 genera
  • Lorentzimys division – 1 genus
  • Pogonomys division – 11 genera
  • Uromys division – 5 genera
  • Xeromys division – 3 genera
  • GenusMirzamys
• Australia
  • Pseudomys division – 8 genera

List of species

As of 2005, the Murinae contained 129 genera in 584 species. Musser and Carleton (2005) divided the Murinae into 29 genus divisions. They treated theOtomyinaeas a separate subfamily, but all molecular analyses conducted to date have supported their inclusion in the Murinae as relatives of African genera.In a recent expedition in the Philippines, seven moreApomysmice were added and the genus was proposed to split into two subgenera -ApomysandMegapomys,based on morphological andcytochrome bDNA sequences.In 2021, a major revision was taken ofPraomyini.

Thetribesare based on the classification by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists.Some of the division placement is based on Pageset al., 2015 and Roweet al., 2019.

SUBFAMILY MURINAE- Old World rats and mice

• TribeApodemini
  • GenusApodemus- Old World field mice
  • GenusRhagamys†
  • GenusTokudaia- Ryūkyū spiny rats
• TribeArvicanthini
  • Aethomysdivision
    • GenusAethomys- bush rats
    • GenusMicaelamys
  • Arvicanthisdivision
    • GenusArvicanthis- unstriped grass mice
    • GenusDesmomys
    • GenusLemniscomys- striped grass mice
    • GenusMylomys(African Groove-toothed Rat)
    • GenusPelomys- groove-toothed creek rats
    • GenusRhabdomys(Four-striped Grass Mouse)
  • Dasymysdivision
    • GenusDasymys- shaggy swamp rats
  • Golundadivision
    • GenusGolunda(Indian bush rat)
  • Hybomysdivision
    • GenusDephomys- defua rats
    • GenusHybomys- hump-nosed mice
    • GenusStochomys(target rat)
    • GenusTypomys
  • Oenomysdivision
    • Genus †Canariomys- Canary Islands giant rats
    • GenusGrammomys
    • GenusLamottemys
    • Genus †Malpaisomys
    • GenusOenomys- rufous-nosed rats
    • GenusThallomys- acacia rats
    • GenusThamnomys- thicket rats
• TribeHapalomyini
  • GenusHapalomys- marmoset rats
• TribeHydromyini
  • Chiropodomysdivision (alternately considered a distinct tribe, Chiropodomyini)
    • GenusChiropodomys- pencil-tailed tree mice
  • Chrotomysdivision
    • GenusApomys
    • GenusArchboldomys(Mount Isarog shrew rats)
    • GenusChrotomys- Luzon striped rats
    • GenusSoricomys
    • GenusRhynchomys- shrew-like rats
  • Conilurusdivision
    • GenusConilurus- rabbit rats
    • GenusLeporillus- Australian stick-nest rats
    • GenusMesembriomys- tree rats
  • Haeromysdivision
    • GenusHaeromys- pygmy tree mice
  • Hydromysdivision
    • GenusBaiyankamys(formerly inHydromys)
    • GenusCrossomys(earless water rat)
    • GenusHydromys- water rats
    • GenusLeptomys
    • GenusMicrohydromys
    • GenusMirzamys
    • GenusParahydromys
    • GenusParaleptomys
    • GenusPseudohydromys- New Guinea false water rats
    • GenusXeromys(false water rat)
  • Mallomysdivision
    • GenusAbeomelomys
    • GenusMallomys- giant tree rats
    • GenusMammelomys
    • GenusPogonomelomys- Rummler's mosaic tailed rats
    • GenusXenuromys(white-tailed New Guinea rat)
  • Pogonomysdivision
    • GenusAnisomys(powerful-toothed rat)
    • GenusChiruromys
    • GenusHyomys- white-eared rats
    • GenusLorentzimys(New Guinea jumping mouse)
    • GenusMacruromys- New Guinean rats
    • GenusPogonomys- prehensile-tailed rats
  • Pseudomysdivision
    • GenusLeggadina
    • GenusMastacomys
    • GenusNotomys- Australianhopping mice
    • GenusPseudomys- Australian native mice
    • GenusZyzomys- thick-tailed rats
  • Uromysdivision
    • GenusMelomys- banana rats
    • GenusParamelomys
    • GenusProtochromys
    • GenusSolomys- naked-tailed rats
    • GenusUromys- giant naked-tailed rats
  • Unknown division
    • GenusBrassomys
    • GenusCoccymys
• TribeMalacomyini
  • GenusMalacomys- big-eared swamp rats
• TribeMillardini
  • Millardiadivision
    • GenusCremnomys
    • GenusDiomys(Manipur mouse)
    • GenusMadromys
    • GenusMillardia- Asian soft-furred rats
  • Pithecheirdivision
    • GenusPithecheir- monkey-footed rats
    • GenusPithecheirops
• TribeMurini
  • GenusMus- true mice
• TribeOtomyini
  • GenusMyotomys- African karoo rats (now classified inOtomys)
  • GenusOtomys- groove-toothed or vlei rats
  • GenusParotomys- whistling rats
• TribePhloeomyini
  • GenusBatomys- Luzon and Mindanao forest rats
  • GenusCarpomys- Luzon rats
  • GenusCrateromys- cloudrunners
  • GenusMusseromys- tree mice
  • GenusPhloeomys- slender-tailed cloud rats
• TribePraomyini
  • GenusChingawaemys- Chingawa forest rat
  • GenusColomys(African wading rat)
  • GenusCongomys
  • GenusHeimyscus
  • GenusHylomyscus- African wood mice
  • GenusMastomys- multimammate mice
  • GenusMontemys
  • GenusMyomyscus
  • GenusNilopegamys
  • GenusOchromyscus- rock mice
  • GenusPraomys- African soft-furred rats
  • GenusSerengetimys
  • GenusStenocephalemys- Ethiopian narrow-headed rats
  • GenusZelotomys- stink mice
• TribeRattini
  • Berylmysdivision
    • GenusBerylmys- white-toothed rats
  • Bunomysdivision
    • GenusBullimus
    • GenusBunomys
    • GenusEropeplus(Sulawesian soft-furred rat)
    • GenusHalmaheramys
    • GenusKomodomys
    • GenusLenomys(trefoil-toothed rat)
    • GenusPapagomys- Flores giant rats
    • GenusParuromys(Sulawesian giant rat)
    • GenusPaulamys
    • Species"Rattus"timorensis
    • GenusSundamys- giant Sunda rats
    • GenusTaeromys
  • Dacnomysdivision
    • GenusChiromyscus(Fea's tree rat)
    • GenusDacnomys(Large-toothed giant rat)
    • GenusLenothrix(grey tree rat)
    • GenusLeopoldamys- long-tailed giant rats
    • GenusMargaretamys- margareta rats
    • GenusNiviventer- white-bellied rats
    • GenusSaxatilomys
    • GenusTonkinomys
  • Echiothrixdivision
    • GenusEchiothrix
    • GenusHyorhinomys
    • GenusMelasmothrix(lesser Sulawesian shrew rat)
    • GenusPaucidentomys
    • GenusSommeromys
    • GenusTateomys- greater Sulawesian shrew rats
    • GenusWaiomys- Sulawesi water rat
  • Maxomysdivision
    • GenusCrunomys- Philippine and Sulawesian shrew rats
    • GenusMaxomys(rajah rats)
  • Micromysdivision (alternately considered a distinct tribe, Micromyini)
    • GenusMicromys(Old World harvest mice)
  • Rattusdivision
    • GenusAbditomys
    • GenusBandicota- bandicoot rats
    • GenusDiplothrix
    • GenusKadarsanomys
    • GenusLimnomys
    • GenusNesokia(short-tailed bandicoot rat)
    • GenusNesoromys
    • GenusPalawanomys(Palawan rat)
    • GenusRattus- typical rats
    • GenusTarsomys
    • GenusTryphomys(Mearn's Luzon rat)
  • Srilankamysdivision
    • GenusSrilankamys(Ceylonese rats)
  • Unknown division
    • GenusAnonymomys(Mindoro rat)
• TribeVandeleurini
  • GenusVandeleuria- long-tailed climbing mice
• incertae sedis
  • Genus †Alormys
  • Genus †Coryphomys
  • GenusHadromys
  • Genus †Hooijeromys
  • Genus †Milimonggamys
  • Genus †Rakasamys
  • GenusVernaya(Vernay's Climbing Mouse)
  • Genus †Spelaeomys

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