Arctostylopidae

Arctostylopidae
Temporal range: Late Paleocene-Late Eocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Gliriformes (?)
Order: Arctostylopida
Cifelli et al., 1989
Family: Arctostylopidae
Schlosser, 1923
Genera[1]

Arctostylopidae is an extinct family of placental mammals from the Late Palaeocene of Eastern Asia and North America. All arctostylopid specimens in North America have been referred to the genus Arctostylops.

They are animals of uncertain affinities to other groups and it was believed that they may be related to 'ungulates'.[2] Originally they were considered to be northern relatives of South American notoungulates, specifically Notostylopidae.

Recently, other palaeontologists have suggested that they might be descendants of Asian gliriforms, and therefore related to rabbits and rodents. This relationship is based upon similarities in the shape of their tarsal (ankle) bones. In particular, arctostylopid tarsals bear a strong resemblance to the early gliroid Rhombomylus.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Averianov2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Palaeos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sana2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).