Herpestoidea
Superfamily of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Herpestoidea is a superfamily of Mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses,[2] Malagasy carnivorans[3] and the hyenas.
| Herpestoidea | |
|---|---|
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| Top to bottom: Fossa, spotted hyena, Indian grey mongoose | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Parvorder: | Viverroidea |
| Superfamily: | Herpestoidea Bonaparte, 1845 |
| Families | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Herpestoids, with the exception of the hyenas, have a cylindrical and elongated body, which allows them to get into holes to catch prey.[2] Herpestoids are feliforms and several of them specialize in hunting animals bigger than they are.[4]
They live throughout Eurasia, Africa and the island of Madagascar.[4]
Classification
Superfamily Herpestoidea[5]
- incertae sedis: family †Lophocyonidae (it probably belongs just outside Herpestoidea)
- family Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivorans)
- family Herpestidae (mongooses and allies)
- family Hyaenidae (hyenas and aardwolf) - including the former family †Percrocutidae
Phylogenetic tree
The phylogenetic relationships of Herpestoidea are shown in the following cladogram:[6][7][5]
| Herpestoidea |
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The family †Lophocyonidae, which was recovered as closely related to Hyaenidae in 2019, rather seems to belong somewhere between Viverridae and Herpestoidea.
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