Pholidotamorpha ("pangolin-like forms") is a clade of placental, mostly ant- and termite-eating mammals that (partially) physically resemble anteaters and armadillos. However, those aforementioned species are now placed in the order Xenarthra, along with sloths; Pholidotamorpha is now classified under the mirorder Ferae, which includes the order Carnivora (carnivorous mammals) and the pangolins (Pholidota) as well as the prehistoric order Palaeanodonta, containing only extinct species.
Classification and phylogeny History of taxonomy Both the Pholidota and Palaeanodonta orders were formerly placed with other orders of ant-eating mammals, most notably Xenarthra (armadillos, sloths, anteaters, which they superficially resemble); some palaeontologists, throughout the history of zoology, have placed pangolins and palaeanodonts as a suborder, Pholidota, in the greater order Cimolesta, alongside the extinct family Ernanodontidae (as a separate suborder Ernanodonta) near it. However, this idea fell out of favor when it was determined that cimolestids were not truly placental mammals.
Newer genetic evidence indicates instead that the closest living relatives to Pholidota are the members of order Carnivora, together forming the mirorder Ferae.Mark S Springer, Christopher A Emerling, John Gatesy, Jason Randall, Matthew A. Collin, Nikolai Hecker, Michael Hiller, Frédéric Delsuc (2019) Odontogenic ameloblast-associated (ODAM) is inactivated in toothless/enamelless placental mammals and toothed whales In 2009, pangolins and palaeanodonts were together placed within the clade Pholidotamorpha. A 2012 study of new remains, found in Late Paleocene Mongolian strata, have led to the assessment that extinct genus Ernanodon is closely related to another extinct genus, Metacheiromys, and is a member of the extinct order Palaeanodonta. A 2026 studies of Eurotamandua remains, found that this extinct genus alongside extinct genis Euromanis are not members of order Pholidota and are more closely related to order Palaeanodonta. Members of extinct order Pantolesta are also recognised to be close relative of clade Pholidotamorpha, based on their dental and postcranial similarities, and semi-fossorial adaptations.Doug Boyer, Jonathan I. Bloch (2003.) "Comparative anatomy of the pentacodontid Aphronorus orieli (Mammalia: Pantolesta) from the Paleocene of the western Crazy Mountains basin, Montana", in "The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 63rd annual meeting"Kenneth D. Rose, Wighart Koenigswald (2005) "An exceptionally complete skeleton of Palaeosinopa (Mammalia, Cimolesta, Pantolestidae) from the Green River Formation, and other postcranial elements of the Pantolestidae from the Eocene of Wyoming (USA)." Palaeontographica, Abteilung A: Palaozoologie - Stratigraphie. 273. 55-96.Gregg F. Gunnell, Thomas Bown, Jonathan Ivan Bloch, Doug M. Boyer (2008.) "Proteutheria"; pp. 63–81 in C. M. Janis, G. F. Gunnell, and M. Uhen (eds.), "Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 2: Small Mammals, Xenarthrans, and Marine Mammals." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.Rose, K. D. (2008.) "Palaeanodonta and Pholidota"; pp. 135–146 in C. M. Janis, G. F. Gunnell, and M. Uhen (eds.), "Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 2: Small Mammals, Xenarthrans, and Marine Mammals." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Classification Former classification: Current classification: Clade: Pholidotamorpha (pangolin-like mammals) Order: Pholidota (pangolins) Suborder: Eupholidota (true pangolins) Suborder: †Afredentata Genus: †Euromanis Incertae sedis †Pholidota sp. [BC 16’08] Order: †Palaeanodonta (stem-pangolins) Family: †Epoicotheriidae (paraphyletic family) Family: †Ernanodontidae Family: †Escavadodontidae Family: †Metacheiromyidae (paraphyletic family) Incertae sedis: Genus: †Arcticanodon Genus: †Melaniella Clade: Pholidotamorpha (pangolin-like mammals) Order: Pholidota (pangolins) Suborder: Eupholidota (true pangolins) Incertae sedis †Pholidota sp. [BC 16’08] Order: †Afredentata Family: †Eurotamanduidae Order: †Palaeanodonta (stem-pangolins) Family: †Epoicotheriidae (paraphyletic family) Family: †Ernanodontidae Family: †Escavadodontidae Family: †Metacheiromyidae (paraphyletic family) Incertae sedis: Genus: †Arcticanodon Genus: †Melaniella Genus: †Euromanis
Phylogeny Cladogram of phylogeny within clade Pholidotamorpha Based on Kondrashov & Agadjanian (2012.) study: Based on Rose (2026.) study:
See also Mammal classification Ferae
References