The ochotonids of Eurasia: Biochronology and taxonomic diversity

The ochotonid faunas of Eurasia and North America from the Oligocene to the present time are reviewed. The pika family (Ochotonidae Thomas 1897) belongs to the order Lagomorpha, which includes five families: Ochotonidae, Mimotonidae Li 1978, Leporidae Fischer 1817 (hares), Palaeolagidae Dice 1929, a...

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Published inBiology bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vol. 43; no. 7; pp. 729 - 735
Main Author Erbajeva, M. A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.12.2016
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cell Biology
Ecology
Fossils
Genera
Life Sciences
Reviews
Taxonomy
Zoology
Eurasia
biochronology
Ochotonidae
taxonomic diversity
Eurasia
Lagomorpha
Oligocene–Recent
pikas
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Summary:The ochotonid faunas of Eurasia and North America from the Oligocene to the present time are reviewed. The pika family (Ochotonidae Thomas 1897) belongs to the order Lagomorpha, which includes five families: Ochotonidae, Mimotonidae Li 1978, Leporidae Fischer 1817 (hares), Palaeolagidae Dice 1929, and Prolagidae Gureev 1960. The family Ochotonidae consists of two subfamilies: Sinolagomyinae Gureev, 1960 and Ochotoninae Thomas, 1897 and comprises a total of 17 genera. Originating in Central Asia at the beginning of the Late Oligocene, pikas flourished during the Late Oligocene. The highest taxonomic diversity of pikas can be found in the Miocene and Pliocene; towards the Pleistocene, the ochotonid fauna declined. Only one genus, Ochotona, remained extant by the end of the Pleistocene. The genus includes a total of 38 known extinct taxa and 28 extant species.
ISSN:1062-3590
1608-3059
DOI:10.1134/S1062359016070062