Overview
Suborder Myomorpha contains 1,137 species of mouse-like rodents, nearly a quarter of all mammal species. Included are mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, lemmings and voles. They are grouped according to the structure of the jaw and the structure of the molar teeth. Both their medial and lateral masseter muscles are displaced forward, making them adept at gnawing. The medial masseter muscle goes through the eye socket, a feature unique among mammals. Myomorphs are found worldwide (apart from Antarctica) in almost all land habitats. They are usually nocturnal seed-eaters.
Most myomorph species belong to superfamily Muroidea:
- Superfamily Muroidea
- Family Platacanthomyidae
- Family Spalacidae
- Family Calomyscidae
- Family Nesomyidae
- Family Cricetidae
- Family Muridae
- Superfamily Dipodoidea
- Family Dipodidae
Historically, the definition of the suborder Myomorpha has included one or both of the following.
- Superfamily Geomyoidea
- Family Heteromyidae
- Family Geomyidae
- Superfamily Gliroidea
- Family Gliridae
- Carleton, M. D. and G. G. Musser. 2005. Order Rodentia. Pp745?752 in Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds.). Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Clutton-Brock, Juliet (ed.). 2004. Mouse-like Rodents. Pp150?159 in Animal (David Burnley ed.). London, Dorling Kindersley.
Taxonomy
The Infraorder Myodonta is a member of the Suborder Myomorpha. Here is the complete "parentage" of Myodonta:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass: Tetrapoda
Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
- Class: Mammalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Mammals
- Subclass: Theriiformes
(Rowe, 1988) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Infraclass: Holotheria
(Wible et al., 1995) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Superlegion: Trechnotheria
McKenna, 1975
- Legion: Cladotheria
McKenna, 1975
- Sublegion: Zatheria
McKenna, 1975
- Infralegion: Tribosphenida
(McKenna, 1975) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Supercohort: Theria
(Parker & Haswell, 1897) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - a genus of Click Beetles (Elateridae)
- Cohort: Placentalia
(Owen, 1837) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - Placentals
- Magnorder: Epitheria
(Mckenna, 1975) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Superorder: Preptotheria
(McKenna, 1975) McKenna, in Stucky & McKenna, in Benton, ed., 1993
- Grandorder: Anagalida
(Szalay & McKenna, 1971) McKenna, 1975
- Mirorder: Simplicidentata (Weber, 1904) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Grandorder: Anagalida
(Szalay & McKenna, 1971) McKenna, 1975
- Superorder: Preptotheria
(McKenna, 1975) McKenna, in Stucky & McKenna, in Benton, ed., 1993
- Magnorder: Epitheria
(Mckenna, 1975) M.c. Mckenna & S.k. Bell, 1997
- Cohort: Placentalia
(Owen, 1837) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - Placentals
- Supercohort: Theria
(Parker & Haswell, 1897) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - a genus of Click Beetles (Elateridae)
- Infralegion: Tribosphenida
(McKenna, 1975) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Sublegion: Zatheria
McKenna, 1975
- Legion: Cladotheria
McKenna, 1975
- Superlegion: Trechnotheria
McKenna, 1975
- Infraclass: Holotheria
(Wible et al., 1995) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Subclass: Theriiformes
(Rowe, 1988) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
- Class: Mammalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Mammals
- Superclass: Tetrapoda
Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Infraorder Myodonta is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Family (4): Armintomyidae · Dipodidae · Muridae · Simimyidae
Families
Armintomyidae
Dipodidae
The Dipodidae, or dipodids, are a family of rodents found across the northern hemisphere. This family includes over 50 species among the 16 genera. They include the jerboas, jumping mice, and birch mice. Different species are found in grassland, deserts, and forests. They are all capable of saltation (jumping while in a bipedal stance), a feature that is most highly evolved in the desert-dwelling jerboas. [more]
Muridae
Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 700 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives. [more]
Simimyidae
At least 3 species and subspecies belong to the Family Simimyidae.
More info about the Family Simimyidae may be found here.
References
- Carleton, M. D. and G. G. Musser. 2005. Order Rodentia. Pp745-752 in Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds.). Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press.
Sources
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