Paucituberculata is an order of South American marsupials. Although currently represented only by the seven living species of shrew opossums, this order was formerly much more diverse, with more than 60 extinct species named from the fossil record, particularly from the late Oligocene to early Miocene epochs. The group went through a pronounced decline in the middle Miocene epoch, which resulted in the extinction of all families of this order except for the living shrew opossums (Caenolestidae). Extinct families of Paucituberculatans include Pichipilidae, Palaeothentidae, and Abderitidae. However, other studies have shown that shrew opossums branched off first, and thus Didelphimorphia is the sister group of Australidelphia.
The Paucituberculata were once considered to be closely related to South American polydolopimorph metatherians, however phylogenetic analyses have found this is not true.
- †Bardalestes
- †Perulestes
- †Pilchenia
- †Sasawatsu
- Family †Pichipilidae
- †Phonocdromus
- †Pichipilus
- †Quirogalestes
- Family †Abderitidae
- †Abderites
- †Parabderites
- †Pitheculites
- Family †Palaeothentidae
- †Chimeralestes
- †Hondathentes
- Subfamily †Palaeothentinae
- †Antawallathentes
- †Carlothentes
- †Palaeothentes
- †Palaepanorthus
- †Propalaeothentes
- Subfamily †Acdestinae
- †Acdestis
- †Acdestoides
- †Acdestodon
- †Titanothentes
- †Trelewthentes
See also
- List of mammal genera
- List of prehistoric mammals