Cricetidae—Part 2 (Microtidae)

Abstract

Microtines are small to intermediate in size. The skull follows the general pattern of cricetids (and all muroids) and is fully myomorphous, the mandible sciurognathous (Fig. 21.1). The rostrum is usually shorter than in other cricetids and the skull is more robust. A postorbital process or ridge may be present on the squamosal. The zygoma is broad. A marking for the temporalis muscle is present on the skull on the lateral sides of the parietais but fuses into a central sagittal crest in some genera. The size of the infraorbital and incisive foramina is variable depending on genus as in other cricetids. Auditory bullae are variable in size and range from aseptate and thin-walled to septate and thick-walled, the walls being filled with spongy bone.