''Ptilocercus'' is a genus of treeshrew and the sole member of the family Ptilocercidae.

Taxonomy

Today the genus (and family) is represented by a single species, the pen-tailed treeshrew ''(Ptilocercus lowii)''. However, this genus is very ancient and considered the most primitive of all the treeshrews. In 2016 a new species was described from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

dated to the Early Oligocene about 34 million years ago. This species, ''

Ptilocercus kylin ''Ptilocercus'' is a genus of treeshrew and the sole member of the family Ptilocercidae. Taxonomy Today the genus (and family) is represented by a single species, the pen-tailed treeshrew ''(Ptilocercus lowii)''. However, this genus is very anc ...

'', is so strikingly similar to the living species that it can be considered a sister taxa. This suggests that the Ptilocercidae have evolved little change over millions of years.

References

Mammal genera Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named by John Edward Gray Treeshrews {{Mammal-stub