Asia
The origin of hamsters is Asia, and this conclusion is supported by fossil evidence and academic research. According to authoritative paleontological studies, hamster fossils from the middle to late Eocene epoch (about 40 million years ago) discovered in places such as Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, as well as subsequent fossils found in Qujing, Yunnan Province, and Zhoukoudian, Beijing, all provide direct evidence for the theory of the Asian origin of hamsters. In addition, through the analysis of the diversity centers and evolutionary history of hamsters, the academic community has further confirmed that the arid grasslands in Asia (especially in Mongolia and North China, China) are the evolutionary centers of the main groups of hamsters.
It should be noted that:
The Syrian hamster (Syrian golden hamster) is the direct ancestor of modern pet hamsters. However, this breed was discovered in Syria (in Western Asia), which is part of the distribution range of species in the subfamily Cricetinae.
The overall evolutionary history of animals in the subfamily Cricetinae indicates that their origin may be related to the geological activities of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.