Our molecular dataset for Murinae, which includes the most complete
sampling so far of the African murines, gives compelling evidence for
five phyletically separate radiations within the African region, as
well as several phases of dispersal between Asia and Africa during the
late Miocene to early Pliocene. Through our expanded taxon sampling,
which also includes a good coverage of Eurasian taxa we also reveal
many new details concerning the overall phylogenetic structure of the
Murinae, and this forms a basis for rational classification at tribal
level of this traditionally problematic group. Further studies of
Murinae should target the few remaining African genera that were not
available in our dataset (including
Thallomys,
Lamottemys and
Muriculus), as well as various unsampled Asian taxa (e.g.
Hapalomys,
Lenothrix) including those that have been associated with the African Arvicanthini on morphological grounds (e.g.
Hadromys). Dense taxon sampling of the Australo-Papuan Hydromyini was recently provided by Rowe et al.
[
16],
although a few important gaps remain for this region. On a broader
level, a comparison of the phylogenetic structure of Murinae with that
of other co-distributed groups of small mammals, such as Gerbillinae
and Soricidae, might shed even greater light on the history of the
faunal interchange and extinction across Africa and Asia during the
last 15 My.
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