Where Did Chipmunks Evolve From? Origins And DNA
Chipmunks evolved within the rodent family tree, inside Rodentia and Sciuridae. They came from an ancient squirrel relative, with their lineage tracing back to early Miocene ground-squirrel ancestors about 20 million years ago. Their story sits inside mammal evolution, where small, striped, squirrel-like rodents adapted to changing forests and climates. Chipmunks are a specialized branch…