Abstract
The mammalian order Rodentia is by far the largest order of mammals (approximately 1700 species), and rodents show ranges in body size, body plan, and ecological diversity that far exceed those seen in any other group of mammals, including bats and cetaceans. Living rodents inhabit all continents except Antarctica, and they are found in nearly every terrestrial habitat throughout their geographic range. Rodents usually play integral roles in the terrestrial ecosystems they inhabit, and they are often the most abundant and diverse of all vertebrates in a terrestrial community.
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Hafner, J.C., Hafner, M.S. (1988). Heterochrony in Rodents. In: McKinney, M.L. (eds) Heterochrony in Evolution. Topics in Geobiology, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0795-0_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0795-0_12
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