Tapiroidea is a superfamily of

perissodactyl Perissodactyla (, ), or odd-toed ungulates, is an order of Ungulate, ungulates. The order includes about 17 living species divided into three Family (biology), families: Equidae (wild horse, horses, Asinus, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae ( ...

s which includes the modern

tapirs Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...

and their extinct relatives. Taxonomically, they are placed in suborder Ceratomorpha along with the rhino superfamily,

Rhinocerotoidea Rhinocerotoidea is a superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily of Perissodactyla, perissodactyls that appeared 56 million years ago in the Paleocene. They included four extinct families, the Amynodontidae, the Hyracodontidae, the Paraceratheriidae, an ...

. The first members of Tapiroidea appeared during the

Early Eocene In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

, 55 million years ago, and were present in North America and Asia during the Eocene. Tapiridae first appeared during the early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

in Europe, and are thought to have originated from the tapiroid family Helaletidae.

Taxonomy

*Superfamily Tapiroidea **Family † Deperetellidae ***Genus †'' Bahinolophus'' ***Genus †'' Deperetella'' ***Genus †''Irenolophus'' ***Genus †'' Teleolophus'' **Family

Tapiridae Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America and Southea ...

***Genus †'' Eotapirus'' ***Genus †'' Miotapirus'' ***Genus †'' Nexuotapirus'' ***Genus †'' Paratapirus'' ***Genus †'' Plesiotapirus'' ***Genus †'' Protapirus'' (syn. ''Tanyops'') ***Genus †'' Tapiravus'' ***Genus ''

Tapirus ''Tapirus'' is a genus of tapir which contains the living tapir species. The Malayan tapir is usually included in ''Tapirus'' as well, although some authorities have moved it into its own genus, ''Acrocodia''. Extant species The Kabomani tapir ...

'' **Family † Helaletidae ***Genus †'' Colodon'' ***Genus †'' Dilophodon'' ***Genus †'' Helaletes'' ***Genus †'' Heptodon'' ***Genus †''

Heteraletes Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapirs and their extinct relatives. Taxonomically, they are placed in suborder Ceratomorpha along with the rhino superfamily, Rhinocerotoidea. The first members of Tapir ...

'' ***Genus †'' Paracolodon'' ***Genus †'' Plesiocolopirus'' *Placement uncertain **Genus †'' Indolophus'' **Genus †'' Thuliadanta''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7684685 Ceratomorpha Extant Eocene first appearances Mammal superfamilies