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| Afroinsectiphilia | |
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| Taxidermied animals at theCambridge University Museum of Zoology, England. On the leftfour-toed elephant shrew (Petrodromus tetradactylus), in the middleCape golden mole (Chrysochloris asiatica) and on the rightgreater hedgehog tenrec (Setifer setosus). | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Superorder: | Afrotheria |
| Grandorder: | Afroinsectiphilia |
| Orders | |
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| Red:Afrosoricida, yellow:Tubulidentata, blue:Macroscelidea, orange: bothMacroscelidea andAfrosoricida, green: bothMacroscelidea andTubulidentata, purple: bothMacroscelidea andAfrosoricida, black:Tubulidentata,Afrosoricida andMacroscelidea | |
TheAfroinsectiphilia (Africaninsectivores) is aclade that has been proposed based on the results of recent molecular phylogenetic studies.[1] Many of the taxa within it were once regarded as part of the orderInsectivora, but Insectivora is now considered to bepolyphyletic and obsolete. This proposed classification is based on molecular studies only, and there is nomorphological evidence for it.[2]
Thegolden moles,otter shrews andtenrecs are part of this clade. Some also regard theelephant shrews andaardvarks as part of it, although these two orders were traditionally seen as primitiveungulates. The sister group of the Afroinsectiphilia is thePaenungulata, which were also traditionally regarded as ungulates.
If the clade of Afrotheria is genuine, then the Afroinsectiphilia are the closest relatives of thePseudoungulata (here regarded as part of Afroinsectiphilia) and the Paenungulata. In a classification governed by morphological data, both the Pseudoungulata and Paenungulata are seen as true ungulates, thus not related to Afroinsectiphilia. However, DNA research is thought to provide a more fundamental classification.
Additionally, there might be some dental synapomorphies uniting afroinsectiphilians: p4 talonid and trigonid of similar breadth, a prominent p4 hypoconid, presence of a P4 metacone and absence of parastyles on M1–2. Additional features unitingptolemaiidans andtubulidentates specifically include hypsodont molars that wear down to a flat surface; a long and shallow mandible with an elongated symphyseal region; and trigonids and talonids that are separated by lateral constrictions.[3][4]
| A cladogram ofAfrotheria based on molecular evidence[6] |
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