Xerini Protoxerini Marmotini The Xerinae comprise a subfamily of squirrels, many of which are highly terrestrial.

One of which was Africa, where they traveled via land bridges in the Miocene period, leading to the emergence of Protoxerini and Xerini ground squirrel tribes.

Many Xerinae also dispersed to North America during the early Oligocene era, and with the help of global cooling and the expansion of grasslands, resulted in the emergence of the Marmotini ground squirrel tribe.

[2] Tribe Xerini six species of ground squirrels in five genera, occurring in Africa and Asia.

Tribe Marmotini ground squirrels in fifteen genera, occurring world wide.