Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: The vlei rats in the genera Otomys and Parotomys are often placed in a separate subfamily , Otomyinae , but have been shown to be closely related to African murines in spite of their uniqueness .
Simplified: The vlei rats in the genera Otomys and Parotomys are often placed in a separate subfamily , Otomyinae . They have been shown to be closely related to African murines in spite of their uniqueness .