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^[3]

• 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:^{[4] [5] [3]}

The family †Lophocyonidae, which was recovered as closely related to Hyaenidae in 2019, rather seems to belong somewhere between Viverridae and Herpestoidea.

Notes and References

1. Wozencraft, 2005, pp. 560–561
2. Book: Smith, S. . All about Herpestoidea . 150–231 . . Retrieved 08.31.2018
3. BARRETT, P. Z. THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE FELIFORMIA: CONTINGENCY,CONSTRAINT, DISPARITY (dissertation). June 2022 https://core.ac.uk/download/534101157.pdf
4. Barycka . E. . Evolution and systematics of the feliform Carnivora . Mammalian Biology . 72 . 5 . 2007 . 257–282 . 10.1016/j.mambio.2006.10.011. 2007MamBi..72..257B .
5. 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.