Sminthidae

Sminthidae is a family of mouse-like jumping rodents. They are represented by only one extant genus, Sicista, represented by 19 species found throughout most of Eurasia, from central Europe east to Siberia, and south to southern China. However, they were much more diverse and had a much wider range in prehistoric times, having multiple genera and being found not only in Eurasia but also throughout North America, where they existed up to the early Pleistocene. They have a well-attested fossil record which dates as far back as the early Oligocene.[1]

Sminthidae
Temporal range:
Northern birch mouse (Sicista betulina)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Dipodoidea
Family: Sminthidae
Brandt, 1855
Genera

Sicista
Multiple extinct genera, see text

Synonyms

Sicistinae Allen, 1901

They were formerly classified as the subfamily Sicistinae in the family Dipodidae alongside the jerboas and jumping mice, but phylogenetic evidence supports all three of these belonging to distinct families, thus leaving only the jerboas in Dipodidae.[2]

Extant species

Extinct genera

These extinct genera are definitively known:[1][4][5]

  • Genus †Allosminthus
  • Genus †Heosminthus
  • Genus †Heterosminthus
  • Genus †Gobiosminthus
  • Genus †Lophocricetus
  • Genus †Macrognathomys
  • Genus †Megasminthus
  • Genus †Miosicista
  • Genus †Parasminthus
  • Genus †Plesiosminthus
  • Genus †Schaubemys
  • Genus †Shamosminthus
  • Genus †Sinosminthus
  • Genus †Tyrannomys

The Eocene genera Primisminthus and Banyuesminthus could represent even older members of Sminthidae, although other studies speculate that they may be basal dipodoids.[1]

References
  1. "Mammal Species of the World - Browse: Sicistinae". www.departments.bucknell.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  2. Lebedev, Vladimir S.; Bannikova, Anna A.; Pagès, Marie; Pisano, Julie; Michaux, Johan R.; Shenbrot, Georgy I. (2013). "Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Dipodoidea: a test of morphology-based hypotheses". Zoologica Scripta. 42 (3): 231–249. doi:10.1111/zsc.12002. ISSN 1463-6409. S2CID 86686066.
  3. Database, Mammal Diversity (2021-08-10), Mammal Diversity Database, retrieved 2021-10-08
  4. "Fossilworks: Dipodidae". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  5. "Fossilworks: Zapodidae". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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