Cricetidae is a family of rodents in the superfamily Muroidea, encompassing true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and the New World rats and mice. At more than 870 species it ranks among the largest mammal families, with roughly 142 living genera grouped into five living subfamilies, Arvicolinae, Cricetinae, Neotominae, Sigmodontinae and Tylomyinae, found across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The group first evolved in the Old World during the Early Oligocene, with voles and lemmings emerging later and diversifying rapidly through the Pliocene and Pleistocene.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Sources
1. Wikipedia: Cricetidae
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea.
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