Rattini is a very large, diverse tribeofmuroid rodents in the subfamily Murinae. They are found throughout Asia and Australasia, with a few species ranging into Europe and northern Africa. The most well-known members of this group are the true rats (genus Rattus), several species of which have been introduced worldwide.
Rattini Temporal range: Early Pliocene - Recent | |
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Australian swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Subfamily: | Murinae |
Tribe: | Rattini Burnett, 1830 |
Genera | |
See text |
They are thought to be the second-most basal member of the Murinae despite their high modern diversity, with only the Phloeomyini being more basal than them.[1][2]
The genus Micromys was previously classified in a polyphyletic division also containing Hapalomys, Chiropodomys, and Vandeleuria, but phylogenetic evidence supports it forming a sister group to the rest of the Rattini. It has been debated over whether it represents its own tribe (Micromyini) or a basal member of the Rattini, but the American Society of Mammalogists classifies it within the Rattini based on a 2019 study.[1][2][3]
They are mostly found throughout Asia, primarily in the tropics and subtropics, but with a few genera such as Rattus, Micromys (if considered a part of Rattini) and Nesokia ranging north to temperate regions or west to arid regions. In addition, many species in the genus Rattus are found throughout New Guinea and Australia, making them the only native rodents to the region outside of the Hydromyini. Only one species (Micromys minutus, if included) ranges throughout Europe, and another (Nesokia indica) ranges into northern Egypt.[4] Several Rattus species have also been introduced worldwide, and in some cases have become invasive species that have led to the extinction of many animals and plants.[5]
Within Asia, the Rattini reach their highest diversity in the tropics of Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines and the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Species in the tribe include:[1][3][4]