Arctostylopidae is an extinct family of placental mammals from the Late Palaeocene of Eastern Asia and North America. All arctostylopid specimens in North America have been referred to the genus Arctostylops.
| Arctostylopidae Temporal range: Late Paleocene-Late Eocene
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Clade: | Gliriformes (?) |
| Order: | †Arctostylopida Cifelli et al., 1989 |
| Family: | †Arctostylopidae Schlosser, 1923 |
| Genera[1] | |
They are animals of uncertain affinities to other groups and it was believed that they may be related to 'ungulates'.[2] Originally they were considered to be northern relatives of South American notoungulates, specifically Notostylopidae.
Recently, other palaeontologists have suggested that they might be descendants of Asian gliriforms, and therefore related to rabbits and rodents. This relationship is based upon similarities in the shape of their tarsal (ankle) bones. In particular, arctostylopid tarsals bear a strong resemblance to the early gliroid Rhombomylus.[3]
References edit
- ^ Averianov, A. O. (2020). "Reappraisal of arctostylopid mammal Kazachostylops occidentalis from the late Paleocene of Kazakhstan and phylogenetic relationships within Arctostylopida". Journal of Paleontology. 94 (3): 568–579. doi:10.1017/jpa.2019.93. S2CID 212827856.
- ^ "Palaeos Vertebrates 510.200 Ungulatomorpha: Ungulata". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
- ^ Missiaen P, Smith T, Guo DY, Bloch JI, Gingerich PD (2006). "Asian gliriform origin for arctostylopid mammals". Naturwissenschaften. 93 (8): 407–411. Bibcode:2006NW.....93..407M. doi:10.1007/s00114-006-0122-1. hdl:1854/LU-353125. PMID 16865388. S2CID 23315598.
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