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| Afroinsectiphilia Fossil range: Early Eocene? - Recent |
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The Afroinsectiphilia (African insectivores) is a proposed clade whose existence has been hypothesized as the result of recent DNA and molecular analysis. Many of its orders were once regarded as part of the order Insectivora, but this order now seems polyphyletic and is, as a result, possibly obsolete. This proposed classification is only based on DNA and molecular research, and there is no morphological evidence for it.[1]
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
- Suborder Tenrecomorpha
- Order Macroscelidea: elephant shrews (according to some recent data part of Afroinsectiphilia)
- Order Tubulidentata: Aardvark (according to some recent data part of Afroinsectiphilia)
- Order Afrosoricida
- Clade Paenungulata
- Clade Afroinsectiphilia
- Superorder Afrotheria (?)
References
- ^ Rose, Kenneth David; Archibald, J. David (2005). The Rise of Placental Mammals: Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades. JHU Press. p. 65. ISBN 080188022X.
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