Herpetotheriidae

Herpetotheriidae
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous - Miocene 66–20 Ma
Herpetotherium
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Marsupialiformes
Family: Herpetotheriidae
Trouessart, 1879
Genera

See text.

Synonyms

Herpetotheriinae

Herpetotheriidae is an extinct family of metatherians, closely related to marsupials. Species of this family are generally reconstructed as terrestrial, and are considered morphologically similar to modern opossums. Fossils of herpetotheriids come from North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and perhaps South America. The oldest representative is Maastrichtidelphys from the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of the Netherlands and the youngest member is Amphiperatherium from the Middle Miocene of Europe. The group has been suggested to be paraphyletic, with an analysis of petrosal anatomy finding that North American Herpetotherium was more closely related to marsupials than the European Peratherium and Amphiperatherium.

The family includes the following genera:

The following genera have been placed in the family, but their placement is disputed or obsolete:

  • Garatherium (Early Eocene of Algeria) – possibly an adapisoriculid eutherian
  • Indodelphis (Early Eocene of India) – originally referred to Peradectidae
  • Jaegeria (Early Eocene of India) – a bat
  • Rumiodon (Paleogene of Peru) – placement uncertain



This page was last updated at 2024-02-04 01:05 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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