Petromyscinae

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Petromyscines
Fossil range: Middle Miocene - Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Nesomyidae
Subfamily: Petromyscinae
Roberts, 1951
Genera

Petromyscus
Stenodontomys
Delanymys

The subfamily Petromyscinae of the family Nesomyidae contains the rock mice and Delany's swamp mouse. These two genera of mice are distinctive enough from one another that they are sometimes each placed in separate subfamilies. The rock mice are found in southwestern Africa. Delany's swamp mouse is found in a restricted range in parts of Uganda and adjacent Zaire.

These animals have a sharp lower point to their V-shaped infraorbital canal. Their molars are intermediate between the ancestral cricetid style tooth and the dendromurine style tooth.

The Petromyscinae contains two genera and 5 species.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] References

  • Jansa, S. A. and M. Weksler. Phylogeny of muroid rodents: relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:256-276.
  • Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London.
  • Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.
  • 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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