Afroinsectiphilia

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Afroinsectiphilia Temporal range: Early Eocene? - Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Tail-less Tenrec
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Superorder:	Afrotheria
clade:	Afroinsectiphilia
Orders
Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata

The Afroinsectiphilia (African insectivores) is a clade that has been proposed based on the results of recent molecular studies.^[1] Many of its orders were once regarded as part of the order Insectivora, but Insectivora is now considered to be polyphyletic and is, as a result, possibly obsolete. This proposed classification is based on molecular studies only, and there is no morphological evidence for it.^[2]

The golden moles and tenrecs are part of this clade. Some also regard the elephant shrews and aardvarks as part of it, although these two order are traditionally seen as primitive ungulates. The sister group of the Afroinsectiphilia are the Paenungulata, which are also traditionally regarded as ungulates.

If the clade of Afrotheria is genuine, then the Afroinsectiphilia are the closest relatives of the Pseudungulata (here regarded as part of Afroinsectiphilia) and the Paenungulata. In a classification governed by morphological data, both the Pseudungulata and Paenungulata are seen as true ungulates, thus not related to Afroinsectiphilia. However, DNA research is thought to provide a more fundamental classification.

Taxonomic tree

• INFRACLASS EUTHERIA: placental mammals
  • Superorder Afrotheria
    • Clade Afroinsectiphilia
      • Order Afrosoricida
        • Suborder Tenrecomorpha
          • Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs and otter shrews; 30 species in 10 genera
        • Suborder Chrysochloridea
          • Family Chrysochloridae: golden moles; about 21 species in 9 genera
      • Order Macroscelidea: elephant shrews (according to some recent data part of Afroinsectiphilia)
      • Order Tubulidentata: Aardvark (according to some recent data part of Afroinsectiphilia)
    • Clade Paenungulata

References