Herpetotheriidae | |
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Herpetotherium | |
Life restoration of Herpetotherium | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Clade: | Marsupialiformes |
Family: | †Herpetotheriidae Trouessart, 1879 |
Genera | |
See text. | |
Synonyms | |
Herpetotheriinae |
Herpetotheriidae is an extinct family of metatherians, closely related to marsupials.[1] Species of this family are generally reconstructed as terrestrial, and are considered morphologically similar to modern opossums.[2] They are suggested to have been insectivores.[3] Fossils of herpetotheriids come from North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and perhaps South America. The oldest representative is Maastrichtidelphys from the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of the Netherlands[4] and the youngest member is Amphiperatherium from the Middle Miocene of Europe.[5] The group has been suggested to be paraphyletic, with an analysis of petrosal anatomy finding that North American Herpetotherium was more closely related to marsupials than the European Peratherium and Amphiperatherium.[6]
The family includes the following genera:[7]
The following genera have been placed in the family, but their placement is disputed or obsolete:
Cladogram after,[6] showing a paraphyletic Herpetotheriidae.
Metatheria | |