Paucituberculata
Paucituberculata is an order of South American marsupials. Although currently represented only by the seven living species of shrew opossums, this order was formerly much more diverse, with more than 60 extinct species named from the fossil record, particularly from the late Oligocene to early Miocene epochs. The earliest paucituberculatans date to the late Paleocene. The group went through a pronounced decline in the middle Miocene epoch, which resulted in the extinction of all families of this order except for the living Caenolestidae (including Pichipilidae, Palaeothentidae, and Abderitidae.Classification
It is one of two clades of Ameridelphia, a paraphyletic group; genetic studies have shown these animals to be a sister group to Australidelphia.
The Paucituberculata were once considered to be closely related to South American polydolopimorph metatherians, however phylogenetic analyses have found this is not true.Subdivision
The order is subdivided into:
- †Riolestes
- †Bardalestes
- †Fieratherium
- †Evolestes
- Superfamily Caenolestoidea
- * Family Caenolestidae
- ** Caenolestes
- ** Lestoros
- ** Rhyncholestes
- ** †Stilotherium
- ** †Pliolestes
- Superfamily †Palaeothentoidea
- * Family †Pichipilidae
- ** †Pichipilus
- ** †Phonocdromus
- ** †Quirogalestes
- * †Perulestes
- * †Sasawatsu
- * †Pilchenia
- * Family †Palaeothentidae
- ** †Carlothentes
- ** †Antawallathentes
- ** †Hondathentes
- ** †Chimeralestes
- ** Subfamily †Palaeothentinae
- *** †Palaeothentes
- *** †Palaepanorthus
- ** Subfamily †Decastinae
- *** †Acdestis
- *** †Trelewthentes
- *** †Titanothentes
- * Family †Abderitidae
- ** †Abderites
- ** †Pitheculites
- ** †Parabderites
