Editing Hamster (section)

===Relationships among hamster species===
[[File:Hamster clades.svg|thumb|right|Hamster clades]]
Neumann ''et al.'' (2006) conducted a [[molecular phylogeny|molecular phylogenetic]] analysis of 12 of the above 17 species using [[DNA sequence]] from three [[gene]]s: [[12S rRNA]], [[cytochrome b]], and [[von Willebrand factor]]. They uncovered the following relationships:<ref name=neu/>

====''Phodopus'' group====
The genus ''Phodopus'' was found to represent the earliest split among hamsters. Their analysis included both species. The results of another study<ref name=leb2003/> suggest ''Urocricetus kamensis'' and the related ''U. alticola'' belong to either this ''Phodopus'' group or hold a similar basal position.<ref name="Urocricetus">{{cite journal |last1=Lebedev |first1=V. S. |last2=Bannikova |first2=A. A. |last3=Neumann |first3=K. |last4=Ushakova |first4=M. V. |last5=Ivanova |first5=N. V. |last6=Surov |first6=A. V. |title=Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy of dwarf hamsters ''Cricetulus'' Milne-Edwards, 1867 (Cricetidae, Rodentia): description of a new genus and reinstatement of another |journal=Zootaxa |date=26 February 2018 |volume=4387 |issue=2 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4387.2.5 |url=https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4387.2.5 |access-date=9 December 2024}}</ref>

====''Mesocricetus'' group====
The genus ''Mesocricetus'' also forms a [[clade]]. Their analysis included all four species, with ''M. auratus'' and ''M. raddei'' forming one subclade and ''M. brandti'' and ''M. newtoni'' another.

====Remaining genera====
The remaining genera of hamsters formed a third major clade. Two of the three sampled species within ''Cricetulus'' represent the earliest split. This clade contains ''C. barabensis'' (and presumably the related ''C. sokolovi'') and ''C. longicaudatus''.

====Miscellaneous====
The remaining clade contains members of ''Allocricetulus'', ''Tscherskia'', ''Cricetus'', and ''C. migratorius''. ''Allocricetulus'' and ''Cricetus'' were [[sister taxa]]. ''Cricetulus migratorius'' was their next closest relative, and ''Tscherskia'' was basal.