Data from: Rodent phylogeny and a timescale for the evolution of Glires: evidence from an extensive taxon sampling using three nuclear genes.

Rodentia is the largest order of placental mammals, with approximately 2,050 species divided into 28 families. It is also one of the most controversial with respect to its monophyly, relationships between families, and divergence dates. Here, we have analyzed and compared the performance of three nuclear genes (von Willebrand Factor, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, and Alpha 2B adrenergic receptor) for a large taxonomic sampling, covering the whole rodent and placental diversity. The phylogenetic results significantly support rodent monophyly, the association of Rodentia with Lagomorpha (the Glires clade), and a Glires + Euarchonta (Primates, Dermoptera, and Scandentia) clade. The resolution of relationships among rodents is also greatly improved. The currently recognized families are divided here into seven well-defined clades (Anomaluromorpha, Castoridae, Ctenohystrica, Geomyoidea, Gliridae, Myodonta, and Sciuroidea) that can be grouped into three major clades: Ctenohystrica, Gliridae + Sciuroidea, and a mouse-related clade (Anomaluromorpha, Castoridae + Geomyoidea, and Myodonta). Molecular datings based on these three genes suggest that the rodent radiation took place at the transition between Paleocene and Eocene. The divergence between rodents and lagomorphs is placed just at the K-T boundary and the first splits among placentals in the Late Cretaceous. Our results thus tend to reconcile molecular and morphological-paleontological insights.

啮齿目（Rodentia）是有胎盘类哺乳动物中最大的类群，现存约2050个物种，划分为28个科。该类群同时也是单系性验证、科间亲缘关系解析以及分化时间测算这三大研究方向上最具争议的类群之一。
本研究针对覆盖全部啮齿类与有胎盘类类群多样性的大型分类学采样数据集，分析并比较了3个核基因——血管性血友病因子（von Willebrand Factor）、光感受器间类视黄醇结合蛋白（interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein）与α2B肾上腺素能受体（Alpha 2B adrenergic receptor）——在系统发育分析中的表现效能。系统发育分析结果显著支持啮齿目为单系群，啮齿目与兔形目（Lagomorpha）共同构成啮兔总科（Glires clade），且啮兔总科与真灵长大类（Euarchonta，包含灵长目（Primates）、皮翼目（Dermoptera）与树鼩目（Scandentia））共同构成一个单系演化支。啮齿类内部的类群亲缘关系分辨率也得到了显著提升。
当前已被认可的啮齿类科被划分为7个定义明确的演化支（鳞尾松鼠亚目（Anomaluromorpha）、河狸科（Castoridae）、栉鼠下目（Ctenohystrica）、囊鼠总科（Geomyoidea）、睡鼠科（Gliridae）、鼠形亚目（Myodonta）与松鼠总科（Sciuroidea）），这些演化支可进一步归为3个大类群：栉鼠下目、睡鼠科+松鼠总科，以及鼠类相关演化支（包含鳞尾松鼠亚目、河狸科+囊鼠总科与鼠形亚目）。
基于这三个基因的分子钟定年结果显示，啮齿类的适应性辐射发生在古新世与始新世的交界时期。啮齿类与兔形类的分化时间恰好位于白垩纪-古近纪界线（K-T界线），而有胎盘类的首次类群分化则发生在晚白垩世。因此，本研究结果有助于调和分子生物学与形态学-古生物学领域的相关研究结论。