Tamias striatus CT.jpg
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''Tamias'' is a genus of chipmunks in the tribe Marmotini of the
squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
family. The genus includes a single living species, the eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''). The genus name ''Tamias'' ( el, ταμίας) means "treasurer", "steward", or "housekeeper", which is a reference to the animals' role in plant dispersal through their habit of collecting and storing food for winter use. The genus ''Tamias'' was formerly divided into three subgenera that, in sum, included all chipmunk species: ''Tamias'', the eastern chipmunk and other fossil species; '' Eutamias'', of which the Siberian chipmunk (''E. sibiricus'') is the only living member; and '' Neotamias'', which includes the 23 remaining, mostly western, species. These classifications are subjective, and most taxonomies over the twentieth century have placed the chipmunks in a single genus. However, studies of
mitochondrial DNA 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 D ...
show that the divergence between each of the three chipmunk groups is comparable to the genetic dissimilarity between '' Marmota'' and ''
Spermophilus ''Spermophilus'' is a genus of ground squirrels in the Sciuridae, squirrel family. As traditionally defined the genus was very species-rich, ranging through Europe, Asia and North America, but this arrangement was found to be paraphyletic to ...
'', so they are now often considered as separate genera. In addition to the eastern chipmunk, some fossil species from Eurasia have been assigned to this genus: *'' Tamias aristus'' (Ray, 1965) – late Pleistocene *''
Tamias allobrogensis ''Tamias'' is a genus of chipmunks in the tribe Marmotini of the squirrel family. The genus includes a single living species, the eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''). The genus name ''Tamias'' ( el, ταμίας) means "treasurer", "steward ...
'' Mein and Ginsburg, 2002 – Miocene of France *''
Tamias atsali ''Tamias'' is a genus of chipmunks in the tribe Marmotini of the squirrel family. The genus includes a single living species, the eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''). The genus name ''Tamias'' ( el, ταμίας) means "treasurer", "steward ...
'' De Bruijn, 1995 – Pliocene of Greece *''
Tamias eviensis ''Tamias'' is a genus of chipmunks in the tribe Marmotini of the squirrel family. The genus includes a single living species, the eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''). The genus name ''Tamias'' ( el, ταμίας) means "treasurer", "steward ...
'' De Bruijn et al., 1980 – Miocene of GreeceDoukas, 2003, table 2 ''
Tamias urialis ''Tamias'' is a genus of chipmunks in the tribe Marmotini of the squirrel family. The genus includes a single living species, the eastern chipmunk (''Tamias striatus''). The genus name ''Tamias'' ( el, ταμίας) means "treasurer", "steward ...
'' Munthe, 1980, described from the Miocene of Pakistan, may be more closely related to '' Tamiops''.Qiu et al., 2008, p. 115


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q22364 Rodent genera Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger