''Lagurus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the subfamily

Arvicolinae The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae (comprising the hamsters and New World rats and mice). Some authorities plac ...

(voles, lemmings, and related species). ''Lagurus'' includes a single living species, the steppe lemming (''Lagurus lagurus'') of central Eurasia. The North American

sagebrush vole The sagebrush vole (''Lemmiscus curtatus'') is a tiny vole found in western North America. It is the only member of the genus ''Lemmiscus''. They are somewhat similar in appearance to lemmings. They have chunky bodies with short legs and a very ...

(''Lemmiscus curtatus'') has also been included in ''Lagurus'', but is likely not closely related. The earliest fossils of ''Lagurus'', allocated to '' Lagurus arankae'', appear in the

Late Pliocene Late or LATE may refer to: Everyday usage * Tardy, or late, not being on time * Late (or the late) may refer to a person who is dead Music * Late (The 77s album), ''Late'' (The 77s album), 2000 * Late (Alvin Batiste album), 1993 * Late!, a pseudo ...

. Two other fossil species, '' Lagurus pannonicus'' and '' Lagurus transiens'', are thought to be part of a lineage that led to the living steppe lemming.Chaline et al., 1999, pp. 251–252; McKenna and Bell, 1997, p. 153

References

Literature cited

*Chaline, J., Brunet-Lecomte, P., Montuire, S., Viriot, L. and Courant, F. 1999. Anatomy of the arvicoline radiation (Rodentia): palaeogeographical, palaeoecological history and evolutionary data. Annales Zoologici Fennici 36:239–267. *McKenna, M.C. and Bell, S.K. 1997. Classification of Mammals: Above the species level. New York: Columbia University Press, 631 pp. *Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.)
Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed
Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. Lagurini Rodent genera Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named by C. L. Gloger {{Arvicolinae-stub kk:Алақоржын