Rodent Data Synthesis

Brief motivation for the dataset compilation 

Rodent body mass varies greatly between species and contrasts well. Body mass can vary, for example, a capybara can weigh about 50 kilograms while a jerboa can weigh as little as 3.8 grams. A compilation of rodent body masses can showcase the variety of different body masses between species. This data synthesis was done to show the spectrum of body masses in the rodentia order, making up 40% of all mammal species. 

Literature search protocol

Google Scholar was used as the search engine for the literature search. This was done in the week beginning 05/02/2024. Randomised name generators of the species were used to randomly select species of rodentia and then search terms were added after the name of species such as body mass and weight. Only studies that carried out experiments and groundwork were used in the data synthesis, literature that used data from databases were excluded. 

Reference list

Bonnet, T., Wandeler, P., Camenisch, G. and Postma, E. (2017). Bigger Is Fitter? Quantitative Genetic Decomposition of Selection Reveals an Adaptive Evolutionary Decline of Body Mass in a Wild Rodent Population. PLOS Biology, 15(1), p.e1002592. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002592.

Chi, Q.-S. and Wang, D.-H. (2010). Thermal physiology and energetics in male desert hamsters (Phodopus roborovskii) during cold acclimation. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 181(1), pp.91–103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-010-0506-6.

Dewsbury, D.A., Baumgardner, D.J., Evans, R.L. and Webster, D.G. (1980). Sexual Dimorphism for Body Mass in 13 Taxa of Muroid Rodents under Laboratory Conditions. Journal of Mammalogy, 61(1), pp.146–149. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1379975.

Ferraz, K.M.P.M. de B., Bonach, K. and Verdade, L.M. (2005). Relationship between body mass and body length in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). Biota Neotropica, 5(1), pp.197–200. doi:https://doi.org/10.1590/s1676-06032005000100020.

Gattermann, R., Fritzsche, P., Weinandy, R. and Neumann, K. (2002). Comparative studies of body mass, body measurements and organ weights of wild-derived and laboratory golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Laboratory Animals, 36(4), pp.445–454. doi:https://doi.org/10.1258/002367702320389125.

Gorbunova, V., Bozzella, M.J. and Seluanov, A. (2008). Rodents for comparative aging studies: from mice to beavers. AGE, 30(2-3), pp.111–119. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-008-9053-4.

KHOKHLOVA, I., DEGEN, A.A., KRASNOV, B.R. and SHENBROT, G.I. (2001). BODY MASS AND ENVIRONMENT: A STUDY IN NEGEV RODENTS. Israel Journal of Zoology, 47(1), pp.1–13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1560/b37y-lhv0-6mrr-xjw9.

Klaassen, M., Agrell, J. and Lindström, A. (2002). Metabolic rate and thermal conductance of lemmings from high-arctic Canada and Siberia. Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, [online] 172(5), pp.371–378. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-002-0261-4.

Lovegrove, B.G. (2003). The influence of climate on the basal metabolic rate of small mammals: a slow-fast metabolic continuum. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 173(2), pp.87–112. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-002-0309-5.

McNab, B.K. (2008). An analysis of the factors that influence the level and scaling of mammalian BMR. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 151(1), pp.5–28. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.05.008.

Muñoz, A. and Bonal, R. (2008). Are you strong enough to carry that seed? Seed size/body size ratios influence seed choices by rodents. Animal Behaviour, 76(3), pp.709–715. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.03.017.