Herpetotheriidae

Herpetotheriidae
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous - Miocene 66–20 Ma
[1]
Herpetotherium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Metatheria
Family: Herpetotheriidae
Trouessart, 1879
Genera

See text.
Synonyms

Herpetotheriinae

Herpetotheriidae is an extinct family of metatherians. Although sometimes placed in the living opossum family (Didelphidae, as a subfamily Herpetotheriinae), they may form the sister clade to all living marsupials.[1] Species of this family are generally reconstructed as terrestrial.[2] 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[3] and the youngest member is Amphiperatherium from the Middle Miocene of Europe.[4]

The family includes the following genera:[5]

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

References

  1. ^ a b Asher et al. 2007, p. 318.
  2. ^ Asher et al. 2007, p. 322.
  3. ^ Martin et al. 2005, p. 497; Asher et al. 2007, p. 318.
  4. ^ Mörs, von der Hocht & Wutzler 2000, p. 159.
  5. ^ McKenna & Bell 1997, pp. 69–70.
  6. ^ Crochet et al. 2007, pp. 634–635.
  7. ^ Martin et al. 2005.
  8. ^ Case, Goin & Woodburne 2005, pp. 473–482.
  9. ^ Hooker et al. 2008.
  10. ^ Hooker et al. 2008, p. 635.
  11. ^ Crochet et al. 2007, p. 635.
  12. ^ Smith et al. 2007, p. 1008.
  13. ^ Goin & Candela 2004, p. 18.

Literature cited