Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Arvicolinae
see text Arvicolinae is a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. Its closest relatives are members of the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae, the hamsters and New World rats and mice. Sometimes the subfamily Arvicolinae is placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. It is also sometimes referred to as Microtinae or is recognized as a family, Arvicolidae.
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Description
The arvicolines are most easily identified based on their molar teeth, which show prismatic cusps consisting of alternating triangles. These molars are ever-growing and are well adapted to a herbivorous lifestyle.
Arvicolines are Holarctic in distribution and represent one of the only major muroid radiations to reach the New World via Beringia. The other are the three subfamilies of New World rats and mice. Arvicolines do very well in the subnuvial zone beneath the winter snowpack and persist throughout winter without needing to hibernate. They are also characterized by extreme fluctuations in population size.
Most arvicolines are small, furry, short tailed voles or lemmings, but some such as Ellobius and Hyperacrius are well adapted to a fossorial lifestyle. Others, such as Ondatra, Neofiber , and Arvicola have evolved a larger body size and associated with an aquatic lifestyle.
Some authorities have placed the zokors within the Arvicolinae, but they have been shown to be unrelated.
The subfamily Arvicolinae contains seven tribes, 26 genera, and 143 species.
Classification
- Subfamily Arvicolinae - voles, lemmings, muskrats
- Tribe Arvicolini
- Tribe Ondatrini - muskrat
- Genus Ondatra - muskrat
- Tribe Clethrionomyini
- Genus Phenacomys - heather voles
- Genus Dinaromys - voles from the Dinaric Alps
- Genus Hyperacrius - voles from Pakistan
- Genus Alticola - voles from Central Asia
- Genus Eothenomys - voles from East Asia
- Genus Clethrionomys - red-backed voles
- Tribe Prometheomyini - Prometheus mouse
- Genus Prometheomys - Prometheus mouse
- Tribe Ellobiini - mole voles
- Genus Ellobius - mole voles
- Tribe Lemmini - true lemmings
- Genus Synaptomys - bog lemmings
- Genus Lemmus - lemmings
- Genus Myopus
- Tribe Neofibrini
- Genus Neofiber - round-tailed muskrat
- Tribe Dicrostonychini - collared lemmings
- Genus Dicrostonyx - collared lemmings
See also
References
- McKenna, M. C. and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York.
- 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.
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