The Amphilemuridae are a family of extinct

mammals A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle e ...

belonging to the order

Eulipotyphla Eulipotyphla (, from '' eu-'' + '' Lipotyphla'', meaning truly lacking blind gut; sometimes called true insectivores) is an order of mammals comprising the Erinaceidae ( hedgehogs and gymnures); Solenodontidae (solenodons); Talpidae ( mole ...

, from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

Description

Amphilemurids were generally small in size and may have resembled moonrats in life. Some species had spines like those of hedgehogs, while others were almost free of spines or had bristly coats. Most species are known only from teeth.

Classification

The family Amphilemuridae was first described in 1953 by Hill, and was included in the order Insectivora, which later proved to be polyphyletic. Currently the amphilemurids are considered basal members of the order Eulipotyphla, although Hooker and Russell (2012) considered them to belong to the order

Macroscelidea Elephant shrews, also called jumping shrews or sengis, are small insectivorous mammals native to Africa, belonging to the family Macroscelididae, in the order Macroscelidea. Their traditional common English name "elephant shrew" comes from a perc ...

Taxonomy

Family †Amphilemuridae Hill, 1953 * Subfamily †Placentidentinae D. E. Russell et al., 1973 ** †'' Placentidens'' Russell & Savage 1973 *** †''Placentidens lotus'' Russell & Savage 1973 * Subfamily † Amphilemurinae Hill, 1953 ** †'' Macrocranion'' Weitzel, 1949 *** †''Macrocranion junnei'' Smith, Bloch, Strait & Gingerich, 2002 *** †''Macrocranion nitens'' Matthew, 1918 *** †''Macrocranion robinsoni'' Krishtalka & Setoguchi, 1977 *** †''Macrocranion vandebroeki''Quinet, 1964 *** †''Macrocranion germonpreae'' Smith, 1997 *** †''Macrocranion tenerum'' Tobien, 1962 *** †''Macrocranion tupaiodon'' Weitzel, 1949 *** †''Macrocranion huerzeleri'' Maitre, Escarguel & Sigé, 2006 *** †''Macrocranion storchi'' Maitre, Escarguel & Sigé, 2006 *** †''Macrocranion sudrei'' Maitre, Escarguel & Sigé, 2006 ** †'' Amphilemur'' Heller 1935 *** †''Amphilemur eocaenicus'' Heller, 1935 *** †''Amphilemur peyeri'' Hürzeler, 1946 *** †''Amphilemur oltinus'' Maitre, Escarguel & Sigé, 2006 ** †''

Pholidocercus ''Pholidocercus'' is an extinct monotypic genus of mammal from the Messel pit related to and resembling the modern-day hedgehog with a single species, ''Pholidocercus hassiacus''. Like the hedgehog, it was covered in thin spines. Unlike hedgeh ...

'' von Koenigswald & Storch, 1983 *** †''Pholidocercus hassiacus'' von Koenigswald & Storch, 1983 ** †'' Gesneropithex'' Hürzeler 1946 *** †''Gesneropithex figularis'' Hürzeler, 1946 *** †''Gesneropithex grisollensis'' Norris & Harrison, 1998 ** †'' Alsaticopithecus'' Hürzeler 1947 *** †''Alsaticopithecus leemani'' Hürzeler 1947 ** †'' Echinolestes'' Maitre, Escarguel & Sigé, 2006 *** †''Echinolestes quercyi'' Maitre, Escarguel e Sigé, 2006

Bibliography

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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9611220 Amphilemuridae Eocene mammals Prehistoric mammal families