Afrosoricida

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iAfrosoricida

Tenrec ecaudatus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Order:	Afrosoricida Stanhope, 1998

Families

Chrysochloridae
Tenrecidae

The order Afrosoricida contains two families of small mammals that are traditionally considered to be a part of the order Insectivora.

Traditionally, the golden moles of southern Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar and Africa were grouped with the hedgehogs, shrews and moles in the Lipotyphla. However, there have always been opinions suggesting that Tenrecomorpha, or at least the golden moles, are not true Lipotyphlans. These opinions are supported by many genetic studies suggesting an association between Tenrecomorpha and various other African mammals in a proposed superorder known as Afrotheria, however there is no strong morphological evidence to link the Afrosoricida together with other Afrotherians. Some biologists use Tenrecomorpha as the name for the tenrec-golden mole clade, but prevailing evidence suggests Afrosoricida is more appropriate and Tenrecomorpha is used here as the name of the tenrec suborder.<ref>Bronner, Gary N., Jenkins, Paulina D. (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 71-81. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.</ref> The Afrosoricida are sometimes considered part of the Afroinsectiphilia, a clade within the Afrotheria.

INFRACLASS EUTHERIA: placental mammals
- Superorder Afrotheria (?)
  - Clade Afroinsectiphilia
    - Order Afrosoricida
      - Suborder Tenrecomorpha
        Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs and otter shrews; 30 species in 10 genera
      - Suborder Chrysochloridea
        Family Chrysochloridae: golden moles; about 21 species in 9 genera
  - Clade Pseudungulata (according to most recent data part of Afroinsectiphilia)
    - Order Macroscelidea: elephant shrews
    - Order Tubulidentata: Aardvark
  - Clade Paenungulata
    - Order Hyracoidea: hyraxes
    - Order Proboscidea: elephants
    - Order Sirenia: manatees and dugongs