Evolution of Rodents
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 3131
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rodents are at the heart of many fields of research, from medicine to ecology and evolution. However, it would be far too simple to reduce rodents to mere laboratory animals or pests. Rodents are also the most diverse mammals in nature in terms of their life history traits and behavior, and 40% of mammalian species belong to the rodent order. As a whole, they can be considered a model group for studying evolutionary mechanisms, developmental processes, genetics, and phenotypic patterns.
The name “rodent” comes from the Latin “rodere” meaning to gnaw, so the very name “rodent” itself characterizes one of the most peculiar adaptations in mammals, since rodents have the broadest spectrum of dental patterns.
Rodents are widespread and occupy almost every kind of ecological niche. Most species are terrestrial, but all modes of locomotion are represented, such as arboreal, burrowing, and semi-aquatic. Rodents can also be considered a good proxy for understanding past evolutionary history and reconstructing past environments, as they experienced an explosive radiation at the time of their first occurrence in the Paleocene.
Even if rodents represent a highly diversified group, conserving the biodiversity of this largest order of mammals is essential in the current environmental context, as they are key species in many ecosystems.
All these characteristics make them a model group for addressing broad topics. Therefore, we invite original research papers that address a wide range of disciplines from evolution, conservation, ecology, genetics, phylogeography, paleontology, and biodiversity to global change. Special emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary studies.
Dr. Sophie Montuire
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- evolution
- biodiversity
- ecology
- genetics
- phylogeography
- paleontology
- systematics
- EvoDevo
