Herpestoidea Explained

Herpestoidea is a superfamily of mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses, Malagasy carnivorans^[1] and the hyenas.

Herpestoids, with the exception of the hyenas, have a cylindrical and elongated body, which allows them to get into holes to catch prey. Herpestoids are feliforms and several of them specialize in hunting animals bigger than they are.^[2]

They live throughout Eurasia, Africa and the island of Madagascar.^[2]

Classification

• Superfamily Herpestoidea
  • Family Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivorans)
  • Family Herpestidae (mongooses and allies)
  • Family Hyaenidae (hyenas and aardwolf)
  • Family †Lophocyonidae
  • Family †Percrocutidae

Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of Herpestoidea are shown in the following cladogram:^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. Wozencraft, 2005, pp. 560–561
2. Book: Smith, S. . All about Herpestoidea . 150–231 . . Retrieved 08.31.2018
3. Barycka . E. . Evolution and systematics of the feliform Carnivora . Mammalian Biology . 72 . 5 . 2007 . 257–282 . 10.1016/j.mambio.2006.10.011.
4. J. . Morales . S. . Mayda . A . Valenciano . D. . DeMiguel . T. . Kaya . 2019 . A new lophocyonid, Izmirictis cani gen. et sp. nov. (Carnivora: Mammalia), from the lower Miocene of Turkey . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 17 . 16 . 1347–1358 . 10.1080/14772019.2018.1529000 . 2019JSPal..17.1347M . 91268744 . 10261/223616 . free.