Lagurini is a
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
of
lemmings
A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also include ...
in the subfamily
Arvicolinae
The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae (comprising the hamsters and New World rats and mice). Some authorities place ...
. It contains three species in two genera. Species in this tribe are known as steppe lemmings.
It contains the following species:
* Genus ''
Eolagurus''
**
Yellow steppe lemming, ''E. luteus''
**
Przewalski's steppe lemming, ''E. przewalskii''
* Genus ''
Lagurus''
**
Steppe lemming
The steppe lemming or steppe vole (''Lagurus lagurus'') is a small, plump, light-grey rodent, similar in appearance to the Norway lemming ('' Lemmus lemmus''), but not in the same genus. The steppe lemming eats shoots and leaves and is more act ...
, ''L. lagurus''
Phylogenetic evidence based on
mtDNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...
supports the water voles of the genus ''
Arvicola'' not in fact belonging to the tribe
Arvicolini
Arvicolini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
A 2021 study found that '' Arvicola'' may not belong in this group, instead being sister to the tribe Lagurini.
List of species
Tribe Arvicolini
*Genus '' Arvicola'' - water voles
** ...
, but rather forming a
sister group
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and t ...
to the Lagurini. Based on the study, the Lagurini and ''Arvicola'' together form a sister group to a clade comprising ''
Hyperacrius
''Hyperacrius'' is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It contains the following species:
* True's vole
True's vole (''Hyperacrius fertilis'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
It is found in India and Pakistan
P ...
'' and the rest of the
Arvicolini
Arvicolini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
A 2021 study found that '' Arvicola'' may not belong in this group, instead being sister to the tribe Lagurini.
List of species
Tribe Arvicolini
*Genus '' Arvicola'' - water voles
** ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17781830
Mammal tribes
Voles and lemmings