Time-calibrated molecular phylogenetic tree of Australian rodents based. Branches show evolutionary relationships among dozens of species across the Uromys, Conilurus, and Pseudomys divisions. Blue bars mark uncertainty in divergence times. Colored squares indicate conservation status (gray = least concern/near threatened, yellow = vulnerable/endangered/critically endangered, red = extinct --> this includes Melomys rubicola). A timeline at the bottom (x-axis) spans the Miocene to present. Illustrations of representative rodents appear along the right side.
Roycroft et al. (2021) used #museomics to resolve relationships among 8 extinct Australian rodents, including the Bramble Cay melomys. The result? Since European colonization, >10% of this rodent radiation’s unique evolutionary history has vanished. #2026MMM
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
