Mammalian Phylogeny and Diversity
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
"We retain Brandt’s (1855) names for three of the five suborders (Sciuromorpha, Myomorpha,
and Hystricomorpha), whereas some foremost rodent authorities have pointedly advised
against continued employment of these Brantian epithets, especially at the subordinal rank
(e.g., Landry, 1999:283; Wood, 1985). They have argued that the descriptive meaning of
the terms does not strictly concord with the morphologies of included members, and
that this contradiction will only continue to engender confusion. That the logical
connotation of a taxon’s name should uniformly correspond to its taxonomic intention strikes us
as puzzling. Not all members of the Superorder Afrotheria live in Africa, nor are all species of
the Order Carnivora carnivorous. The species- to family-group ranks are rife with valid names
whose logical meaning, as intended by the original descriptor, is partially inconsistent or actually
misleading in terms of the currently accepted contents of the taxon, whether in strict
morphological accuracy, indication of distribution, or implication of phylogenetic alliance. In
reviewing 150 years of rodent classifications, we are impressed that few of our predecessors
applied the features of infraorbital configuration and jaw shape in an overridingly typological
touchstone of all rodent classification. Most made the distinction between, e.g., Myomorpha
in its taxic sense and myomorphy as a morphological condition and routinely consulted
additional traits. Thus, the hystricomorphous Dipodidae have been nearly always
included within Myomorpha (in retrospect, correctly it would seem), and the
sciuromorphous Geomyoidea have been considered by many to also fit within Myomorpha (in
retrospect, perhaps incorrectly). And while Brandt’s taxonomic names qua morphological
descriptors may not perfectly correspond to all members, they nonetheless do conform very
well. The core family members of Sciuromorpha, Myomorpha, and Hystricomorpha have
remained largely the same, and most, not all, do exhibit those fundamental zygomasseteric
structures. More importantly, these core assemblages have survived recent scrutiny using ever
more explicit principles for systematic classification and sophisticated methods for inferring
phylogenetic relationship and assessing descent from a common ancestor."
Carleton & Musser, 2005, p. 751
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
(except Dipodidae,
hystricomorphous)
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
Aplodontidae
• Monotypic (1
species)
• Restricted to NW US
• “Primitive” rodent
• ProtrogomorphousSciurognathous
Sciuridae
• 50 genera, 273
species
• Worldwide except
Australia and
southern South
America
• Wide range of
ecolomorphs
Squirrel body plans
(N. American examples)
Ground
Tamias
Spermophilus
Marmota
Tree
Sciurus
Tamiasciurus
Flying
Glaucomys
Tamias minimus
Least Chipmunk
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
(except Dipodidae,
hystricomorphous)
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
Castoridae
•
•
•
•
1 genus, 2 species
Holarctic
Semi-aquatic
Specialize on
cambium
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
(except Dipodidae,
hystricomorphous)
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
Muridae
• >250 genera, >1300
species
• Mice, rats, voles,
hamsters, gerbils
Muridae: Subfamilies
Murinae
Sigmodontinae
Arvicolinae
Gerbillinae
Spalacinae
+ 12 others!!!
Old World mice & rats
New World mice & rats Alaska
voles
gerbils
blind mole-rats
Muridae: Subfamilies
Murinae
Cricetidae!
Sigmodontinae
Gerbillinae
Spalacinae
+ 12 others!!!
Old World mice & rats
Alaska
voles
New World mice & rats
gerbils
blind mole-rats
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
(except Dipodidae,
hystricomorphous)
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
Anomaluridae
• Scaly-tailed
squirrels
• 3 genera, 7 species
• Western-central
Africa
Rodentia Sub-orders
(Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., 2005)
Sub-order
Masseteric condition
Mandibular condition
Number
of families
/ species
Sciuromorpha
protogomorphous (Aplodontidae),
sciuromorphous (Sciuridae),
“pseudo-myomorphous” (Gliridae)
sciurognathous
3 / 307
Castorimorpha
sciuromorphous
sciurognathous
3 / 102
Myomorpha
myomorphous
(except Dipodidae,
hystricomorphous)
sciurognathous
7 / 1569
Anomaluromorpha
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous
2/9
hystricomorphous
sciurognathous (only
Ctenodactylidae)
hystricognathous
(rest)
18 / 290
Hystricomorpha
Suborder: Hystricomorpha
Africa
AKA “Phiomorpha”
Bathyergidae
Hystricidae
Petromuridae
Thryonomyidae
mole rats
Old World porcupines
rock rats, dassie rats
cane rats
Suborder: Hystricomorpha
South America
AKA “Caviomorpha”
Erethizontidae
Chinchillidae
Dinomyidae
Caviidae
Hydrochaeridae
Dasyproctidae
Agoutidae
Ctenomyidae
Octodontidae
Abrocomidae
Echimyidae
Capromyidae
Myocastoridae
New World
Monkeys
(Platyrrhines)
Erethizontidae
• New World porcupines
• 4 genera, 12 species
• Lowland tropics to
montane forests,
deserts, coniferous
forests
• Herbivores