Biology:Pholidotamorpha

Short description: Clade of mammals

Pholidotamorphs Temporal range: Paleocene–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Various Pholidotamorph genera; clockwise from top left: Manis, Ernanodon, Xenocranium, Metacheiromys, Eurotamandua, Eomanis.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Mirorder:	Ferae
Clade:	Pholidotamorpha Gaudin et al., 2009
Orders
Pholidota †Palaeanodonta

Pholidotamorpha ("pangolin-like forms") is a clade of placental mammals from mirorder Ferae that includes the order Pholidota (the pangolins) and extinct order Palaeanodonta.

Classification and phylogeny

History of taxonomy

In the past both orders, Pholidota and Palaeanodonta, were formerly classified with various other orders of ant-eating mammals, most notably Xenarthra (armadillos, sloths and true anteaters) which they superficially resemble. Some palaeontologists in past placed pangolins and palaeanodonts as a suborder "Pholidota" in order Cimolesta, alongside the extinct family Ernanodontidae as a separate suborder Ernanodonta near it, though this idea has fallen out of favor since it was determined that cimolestids were not placental mammals.

However, newer genetic evidence indicates the closest living relatives to order Pholidota are the members of order Carnivora, and together they form the mirorder Ferae. In 2009, pangolins and palaeanodonts were together placed within clade Pholidotamorpha. A 2012 study from new remains found in Late Paleocene Mongolian strata have led to the assessment that extinct genus Ernanodon is closely related to extinct genus Metacheiromys and being a member of the extinct order Palaeanodonta.

Classification

• Clade: Pholidotamorpha (Gaudin, 2009)
  • Order: Pholidota (Weber, 1904) (pangolins)
    • Suborder: Eupholidota (Gaudin, 2009) (true pangolins)
    • Family: †Eurotamanduidae (Szalay & Schrenk, 1994)
    • Genus: †Euromanis (Gaudin, 2009)
    • Incertae sedis
      • †Pholidota sp. [BC 16’08] (Pickford, 2008)
  • Order: †Palaeanodonta (Matthew, 1918) (stem-pangolins)
    • Family: †Epoicotheriidae ^{(paraphyletic family)} (Simpson, 1927)
    • Family: †Ernanodontidae (Ding, 1979)
    • Family: †Escavadodontidae (Rose & Lucas, 2000)
    • Family: †Metacheiromyidae ^{(paraphyletic family)} (Wortman, 1903)
    • Incertae sedis:
      • Genus: †Arcticanodon (Rose, 2004)
      • Genus: †Melaniella (Fox, 1984)

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of clade Pholidotamorpha are shown in the following cladogram:

Ferae	Pan-Carnivora    Pholidotamorpha   Pholidota      Eupholidota     †Eurotamanduidae      ?  †Pholidota sp. (BC 16’08)     †Euromanis    sensu stricto   †Palaeanodonta    †Escavadodontidae    ?  †Melaniella       †Amelotabes     †Epoicotheriidae             †Epoicotherium     †Molaetherium       †Xenocranium   †Epoicotheriinae     †Tetrapassalus       †Dipassalus       †Alocodontulum     †Auroratherium     †Pentapassalus     †Tubulodon      ?  †Arcticanodon       †Propalaeanodontinae       †Mylanodon       †Brachianodon       †Palaeanodon     †Metacheiromyinae        †Metacheiromys     †Ernanodontidae                    (Pholidota sensu lato)

See also

• Mammal classification
• Ferae

References

Wikidata ☰ Q26708491 entry