Euplerinae Explained

Euplerinae, more commonly known as malagasy civets, is a subfamily of carnivorans that includes four species restricted to Madagascar. Together with the subfamily Galidiinae, which also only occurs on Madagascar, it forms the family Eupleridae. Members of this subfamily, which include the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), falanoucs (Eupleres goudotii and Eupleres major) and Malagasy civet (Fossa fossana), were placed in families like Felidae and Viverridae before genetic data indicated their consanguinity with other Madagascar carnivorans. Within the subfamily, the falanouc and Malagasy civet are more closely related to each other than to the fossa.

Classification

Subamily Euplerinae
Genus Species Image
Cryptoprocta
Eupleres
Fossa Malagasy civet (F. fossana)

Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of Malagasy civets (Euplerinae) are shown in the following cladogram:[1]

See also

References

  1. 10.1038/nature01303 . Yoder . A.D. . Burns . M.M. . Zehr . S. . Delefosse . T. . Veron . G. . Goodman . S.M. . Flynn . J.J. . Single origin of Malagasy Carnivora from an African ancestor . Nature . 421 . 2003 . 6924 . 734–737 . 19 May 2010 . 12610623. 2003Natur.421..734Y . 4404379 .