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Britannica Sources used in this answer

Where do researchers think the genus Mus originated?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Illustration of a house mouse, Mus musculus, showing a small, brownish-gray rodent with large ears, a pointed nose, and a long tail. A scale above indicates its length is about 10 centimeters or 4 inches.
mouse

Based on the study of both living and fossil species, researchers speculate that the genus Mus originated in central Asia more than 11 million years ago. From this region, the genus evolved into various Asian species, eventually expanding into Africa approximately 5 million years ago and later reaching Europe and the Mediterranean region.1