Afrosoricida

Afrosoricida Temporal range: Eocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi)
Grant's golden mole (Eremitalpa granti)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Mirorder:	Afroinsectivora
Order:	Afrosoricida Stanhope MJ, Waddell VG, Madsen O, de Jong W, Hedges SB, Cleven G, Kao D, Springer MS, 1998
Subclades
†Afrodon  †Dilambdogale  †Protenrec  †Todralestes  †Widanelfarasia  ?†Adapisoriculidae   Chrysochloridea  Tenrecomorpha

The clade Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the

Naming

Some biologists use Tenrecoidea or Tenrecomorpha as the name for the tenrec-golden mole

As a rule, tenrecs and otter shrews tend to be small animals varying from 4 cm to 39 cm in length. There is no pronounced body type since they have evolved to occupy a number of small-bodied, faunivorous niches in Madagascar (tenrecines) and mainland Africa (potamogalines). However, certain species bear some ecological similarity to hedgehogs, soricid shrews, or miniature otters. Their coat can vary from smooth to spiny and the coloration of the fur can also vary from brown, gray, to other hues (see for example photos on the ASM library[8]). Most species are also nocturnal and have poor eyesight. Their whiskers are rather sensitive and they can detect very minute vibrations in the ground to locate their prey.

Phylogeny

Traditionally, these two families were grouped with the hedgehogs, shrews and moles in the Lipotyphla. However, there have always been minority opinions suggesting that Tenrecoidea, or at least the golden moles, are not true lipotyphlans. For example, Robert Broom wrote in 1916^[9] that "examination of the skull confirms ... that

Cladogram of living Tenrecoidea

The generally accepted cladogram of living Tenrecoidea is:^[12][13]

Species

• Infraclass Eutheria: placental mammals
  • Superorder Afrotheria
    • Clade Afroinsectiphilia
      • Clade Afroinsectivora
        • Order Afrosoricida
          • Suborder Tenrecomorpha (otter shrews and tenrecs)
            • Family
              otter shrews
              )
              • Genus Micropotamogale
                • Micropotamogale lamottei
                  )
                • Micropotamogale ruwenzorii
                  )
              • Genus
                Potamogale
                • Potamogale velox
                  )
            • Family
              Plesiorycteropodidae
              • Genus †Plesiorycteropus
                • †Plesiorycteropus madagascariensis
                • †Plesiorycteropus germainepetterae
            • Family
              Tenrecidae (tenrecs
              )
              • Subfamily
                Geogalinae
                (1 species)
                • Genus
                  Geogale
                  • Geogale aurita
                    )
              • Subfamily Oryzorictinae (24 species)
                • Genus Microgale
                  • Microgale brevicaudata
                    )
                  • Microgale cowani
                    )
                  • Microgale drouhardi
                    )
                  • Microgale dryas
                    )
                  • Microgale fotsifotsy
                    )
                  • Microgale gracilis
                    )
                  • Microgale gymnorhyncha
                    )
                  • Microgale jenkinsae
                    )
                  • Microgale jobihely
                    )
                  • Microgale longicaudata
                    )
                  • Microgale majori
                    )
                  • Microgale mergulus
                    )
                  • Microgale monticola
                    )
                  • Microgale nasoloi
                    )
                  • Microgale parvula
                    )
                  • Microgale principula
                    )
                  • Microgale pusilla
                    )
                  • Microgale soricoides
                    )
                  • Microgale taiva
                    )
                  • Microgale thomasi
                    )
                • Subgenus Nesogale
                  • Nesogale dobsoni
                    )
                  • Nesogale talazaci
                    )
                • Genus
                  Oryzorictes
                  • Oryzorictes hova
                    )
                  • Oryzorictes tetradactylus
                    )
              • Subfamily Tenrecinae (5 species)
                • Tribe Setiferini
                  • Genus
                    Echinops
                    • Echinops telfairi
                      )
                  • Genus
                    Setifer
                    • Setifer setosus
                      )
                • Tribe Tenrecini
                  • Genus Hemicentetes
                    • Hemicentetes nigriceps
                      )
                    • Hemicentetes semispinosus
                      )
                  • Genus
                    Tenrec
                    • Tenrec ecaudatus
                      )
          • Suborder
            Chrysochloridea (golden moles
            )
            • Family
              Chrysochloridae
              (golden moles)
              • Subfamily
                Chrysochlorinae
                (11 species)
                • Genus
                  Carpitalpa
                  • Carpitalpa arendsi
                    )
                • Genus Chlorotalpa
                  • Chlorotalpa duthieae
                    )
                  • Chlorotalpa sclateri
                    )
                • Genus Chrysochloris
                  • Subgenus Chrysochloris
                    • Chrysochloris asiatica
                      )
                    • Chrysochloris visagiei
                      )
                  • Subgenus Kilimatalpa
                    • Chrysochloris stuhlmanni
                      )
                • Genus Chrysospalax
                  • Chrysospalax trevelyani
                    )
                  • Chrysospalax villosus
                    )
                • Genus
                  Cryptochloris
                  • Cryptochloris wintoni
                    )
                  • Cryptochloris zyli
                    )
                • Genus
                  Eremitalpa
                  • Eremitalpa granti
                    )
              • Subfamily
                Amblysominae
                (10 species)
                • Genus Amblysomus
                  • Amblysomus corriae
                    )
                  • Amblysomus hottentotus
                    )
                  • Amblysomus marleyi
                    )
                  • Amblysomus robustus
                    )
                  • Amblysomus septentrionalis
                    )
                • Genus Calcochloris
                  • Subgenus Huetia
                    • Calcochloris leucorhinus
                      )
                  • Subgenus Calcochloris
                    • Calcochloris obtusirostris
                      )
                  • Subgenus incertae sedis
                    • Calcochloris tytonis
                      )
                • Genus Neamblysomus
                  • Neamblysomus julianae
                    )
                  • Neamblysomus gunningi
                    )

See also

• Pseudoungulata
• List of mammals of Madagascar
• List of afrosoricids

References