Deomyinae
Encyclopedia
The subfamily Deomyinae consists of four genera of mouse
-like rodent
s that were placed in the subfamilies Murinae
and Dendromurinae
until very recently. They are sometimes called Acomyinae, particularly in references that predate the discovery that the link rat, Deomys ferugineus, is part of the clade
. Deomyinae is the older name and therefore has priority over Acomyinae.
Deomyines share no morphological
characteristics that can be used to separate them from other muroids
, though subtle aspects of the third upper molar
have been suggested. This subfamily is united solely on the basis of shared gene
tic mutations. These conclusions have demonstrated good statistical
support using nuclear and mitochondrial
DNA
, as well as DNA-DNA hybridization.
Because of the lack of physical characteristics supporting this group, it is very possible that the subfamily as it is currently recognized is subject to enlargement. Many of the genera
currently placed in Murinae
or Dendromurinae
have never been included in a molecular phylogenetic
analysis. There are potential surprises awaiting when they are.
All genera are found in Africa
, suggesting the deomyines may have originated there. The spiny mice, Acomys spp. are also found in Asia
.
There are currently 4 genera and 54 species included in the Deomyinae.
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
-like rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s that were placed in the subfamilies Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
and Dendromurinae
Dendromurinae
Dendromurinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Nesomyidae and superfamily Muroidea. The dendromurines are currently restricted to Africa, as is the case for all extant members of the family Nesomyidae. The authorship of the subfamily has been contributed to both Alston, 1876, and to G. M...
until very recently. They are sometimes called Acomyinae, particularly in references that predate the discovery that the link rat, Deomys ferugineus, is part of the clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
. Deomyinae is the older name and therefore has priority over Acomyinae.
Deomyines share no morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
characteristics that can be used to separate them from other muroids
Muroidea
Muroidea is a large superfamily of rodents. It includes hamsters, gerbils, true mice and rats, and many other relatives. They occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Some authorities have placed all members of this group into a single family, Muridae, due to...
, though subtle aspects of the third upper molar
Molar (tooth)
Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
have been suggested. This subfamily is united solely on the basis of shared gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
tic mutations. These conclusions have demonstrated good statistical
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
support using nuclear and mitochondrial
Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within eukaryotic cells that convert the chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate...
DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, as well as DNA-DNA hybridization.
Because of the lack of physical characteristics supporting this group, it is very possible that the subfamily as it is currently recognized is subject to enlargement. Many of the genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
currently placed in Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
or Dendromurinae
Dendromurinae
Dendromurinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Nesomyidae and superfamily Muroidea. The dendromurines are currently restricted to Africa, as is the case for all extant members of the family Nesomyidae. The authorship of the subfamily has been contributed to both Alston, 1876, and to G. M...
have never been included in a molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...
analysis. There are potential surprises awaiting when they are.
All genera are found in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, suggesting the deomyines may have originated there. The spiny mice, Acomys spp. are also found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
There are currently 4 genera and 54 species included in the Deomyinae.
List of Species
- Subfamily Deomyinae
- Genus Acomys - spiny mice
- Western Saharan Spiny MouseWestern Saharan Spiny MouseThe Western Saharan Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and possibly in Western Sahara, western Chad and southern Algeria....
, Acomys airensis - Cairo Spiny MouseCairo Spiny MouseThe Cairo Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts....
, Acomys cahirinus - Chudeau's Spiny MouseChudeau's Spiny MouseChudeau's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Mauritania and Morocco. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts....
, Acomys chudeaui - Asia Minor Spiny MouseAsia Minor Spiny MouseThe Asia Minor Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Turkey.Its natural habitat is temperate forests....
, Acomys cilicicus - Grey Spiny Mouse, Acomys cineraceus
- Eastern Spiny Mouse, Acomys dimidiatus
- Fiery Spiny MouseFiery Spiny MouseThe Fiery Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and rocky areas....
, Acomys ignitus - Johan's Spiny MouseJohan's Spiny MouseJohan's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo....
, Acomys johannis - Kemp's Spiny MouseKemp's Spiny MouseKemp's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and rocky areas....
, Acomys kempi - Louise's Spiny MouseLouise's Spiny MouseLouise's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and rocky areas....
, Acomys louisae - Crete Spiny MouseCrete spiny mouseThe Crete spiny mouse is a threatened species of mouse endemic to Crete. It is characterized by the coarse, stiff hairs on its back and tail and a notably grayer coloration and more pointed face than other species of spiny mice. Its fur color varies from yellow to red, gray or brown on its face...
, Acomys minous - Mullah Spiny MouseMullah Spiny MouseThe Mullah Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and rocky areas....
, Acomys mullah - Cyprus Spiny MouseCyprus Spiny MouseThe Cyprus Spiny Mouse is a little known rodent endemic to Cyprus. These nocturnal animals are generally found in arid areas. After the last reliable record in 1980 no considerable effort has been made until 2007 when four individuals were rediscovered...
, Acomys nesiotes - Percival's Spiny MousePercival's Spiny MouseThe Percival's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and rocky areas....
, Acomys percivali - Golden Spiny MouseGolden Spiny Mouse-Introduction:The Golden Spiny Mouse, Acomys russatus, gets its name from the reddish-orange spiny fur that covers it body from head to tail. This coarse, inflexible fur is thought to protect it from predation. Aside from the golden fur that covers its head and upper parts, its flanks are yellow...
, Acomys russatus - Seurat's Spiny MouseSeurat's Spiny MouseSeurat's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Algeria.Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts....
, Acomys seurati - Southern African Spiny MouseSouthern African Spiny MouseThe Southern African Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Acomys spinosissimus - Cape Spiny MouseCape Spiny MouseThe Cape Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in South Africa.Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky areas....
, Acomys subspinosus - Wilson's Spiny MouseWilson's Spiny MouseWilson's Spiny Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and rocky areas....
, Acomys wilsoni
- Western Saharan Spiny Mouse
- Genus Deomys - link rat
- Link RatLink RatThe Link Rat is 12-14.5 cm long with a 15-21 cm long tail. It weighs 40-70 g. It has long legs and a pointed, narrow head, surmounted by enormous ears. It was a very long, bicoloured tail. The back and forehead are rich orange and brown and the underside is white. The rump hairs are stiff. The...
, Deomys ferrugineus
- Link Rat
- Genus Lophuromys - brush-furred mice
- Subgenus Kivumys
- Yellow-bellied Brush-furred RatYellow-bellied Brush-furred RatThe Yellow-bellied Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, Lophuromys luteogaster - Medium-tailed Brush-furred RatMedium-tailed Brush-furred RatThe Medium-tailed Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Lophuromys medicaudatus - Woosnam's Brush-furred RatWoosnam's Brush-furred RatThe Woosnam's Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Lophuromys woosnami
- Yellow-bellied Brush-furred Rat
- Subgenus Lophuromys
- Angolan Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys angolensis
- Ansorge's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys ansorgei
- Gray Brush-furred RatGray Brush-furred RatThe Gray Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, Lophuromys aquilus - Short-tailed Brush-furred RatShort-tailed Brush-furred RatThe Short-tailed Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Ethiopia....
, Lophuromys brevicaudus - Brown Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys brunneus
- Chercher Mountains Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys chercherensis
- Ethiopian Forest Brush-furred RatEthiopian Forest Brush-furred RatThe Ethiopian Forest Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Lophuromys chrysopus - Dieterlen's Brush-furred MouseDieterlen's Brush-furred MouseDieterlen's Brush-Furred Mouse or Mt Oku Brush-Furred Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Cameroon.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
, Lophuromys dieterleni - Dudu's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys dudui
- Eisentraut's Brush-furred Rat, Lophuromys eisentrauti
- Yellow-spotted Brush-furred RatYellow-spotted Brush-furred RatThe Yellow-spotted Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia....
, Lophuromys flavopunctatus - Hutterer's Brush-furred MouseHutterer's Brush-furred MouseHutterer's Brush-furred Mouse or Hutterer's Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, Lophuromys huttereri - Kilonzo's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys kilonzoi
- Lophuromys laticeps
- Lophuromys machangui
- Makundi's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys makundii
- Lophuromys margarettae
- Black-clawed Brush-furred RatBlack-clawed Brush-furred RatThe Black-clawed Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Ethiopia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Lophuromys melanonyx - Menagesha Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys menageshae
- Fire-bellied Brush-furred RatFire-bellied Brush-furred RatThe Fire-bellied Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon....
, Lophuromys nudicaudus - False Rusty-bellied Brush-furred Rat, Lophuromys pseudosikapusi
- Rahm's Brush-furred RatRahm's Brush-furred RatRahm's Brush-furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Lophuromys rahmi - Lophuromys rita
- Mount Cameroon Brush-furred RatMount Cameroon Brush-furred RatThe Mount Cameroon Brush-furred Rat or Roseveari's Brush-furred Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Cameroon....
, Lophuromys roseveari - Sabuni's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys sabunii
- Rusty-bellied Brush-furred RatRusty-bellied Brush-furred RatThe Rusty-Bellied Brush-Furred Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,...
, Lophuromys sikapusi - Lophuromys simensis
- Stanley's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys stanleyi
- Verhagen's Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys verhageni
- Zena Brush-furred Mouse, Lophuromys zena
- Subgenus Kivumys
- Genus Uranomys - Rudd's mouse
- Rudd's MouseRudd's MouseThe Rudd's Mouse or the White-bellied Brush-furred Rat, Uranomys ruddi, is the only member of the genus Uranomys. This animal is closely related to the spiny mice, brush-furred mice, and the Link Rat.-Description:...
, Uranomys ruddi
- Rudd's Mouse
- Genus Acomys - spiny mice