Herpestoidea

Herpestoidea; Temporal range: 29.51–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Oligocene – Present
	Top to bottom: Fossa, spotted hyena, Indian grey mongoose
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Parvorder:	Viverroidea
Superfamily:	Herpestoidea; Bonaparte, 1845
Families
	See text
Synonyms
	Hyaenoidea

Herpestoidea is a superfamily of mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses,^[2] Malagasy carnivorans^[3] 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.^[2] Herpestoids are feliforms and several of them specialize in hunting animals bigger than they are.^[4]

They live throughout Eurasia, Africa and the island of Madagascar.^[4]

Classification

Superfamily Herpestoidea^[5]

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:^[6]^[7]^[5]

Herpestoidea

	Herpestidae (mongoose)

	Eupleridae (Malagasy mongooses)

Hyaenidae

	†Percrocutidae

	Hyaenidae (hyaenas)

sensu lato

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

References

^ Zhou, Y.; Wang, S.-R.; Ma, J.-Z. (2017). "Comprehensive species set revealing the phylogeny and biogeography of Feliformia (Mammalia, Carnivora) based on mitochondrial DNA". PLOS ONE. 12 (3): e0174902. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1274902Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174902. PMC 5373635. PMID 28358848.
^ ^a ^b Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Family Herpestidae". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 562–571. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^ Wozencraft, 2005, pp. 560–561
^ ^a ^b Smith, S. All about Herpestoidea. pp. 150–231. Retrieved 08.31.2018
^ ^a ^b BARRETT, P. Z. THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE FELIFORMIA: CONTINGENCY, CONSTRAINT, DISPARITY (dissertation). June 2022 [1]
^ Barycka, E. (2007). "Evolution and systematics of the feliform Carnivora". Mammalian Biology. 72 (5): 257–282. Bibcode:2007MamBi..72..257B. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2006.10.011.
^ Morales, J.; Mayda, S.; Valenciano, A; DeMiguel, D.; Kaya, T. (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. Bibcode:2019JSPal..17.1347M. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1529000. hdl:10261/223616. S2CID 91268744.

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[pse-1] Zhou, Y.; Wang, S.-R.; Ma, J.-Z. (2017). "Comprehensive species set revealing the phylogeny and biogeography of Feliformia (Mammalia, Carnivora) based on mitochondrial DNA". PLOS ONE. 12 (3): e0174902. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1274902Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174902. PMC 5373635. PMID 28358848.

[msw3-2] Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Family Herpestidae". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 562–571. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

[W60-1-3] Wozencraft, 2005, pp. 560–561

[pp-4] Smith, S. All about Herpestoidea. pp. 150–231. Retrieved 08.31.2018

[Barrett-5] BARRETT, P. Z. THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE FELIFORMIA: CONTINGENCY, CONSTRAINT, DISPARITY (dissertation). June 2022 [1]

[2007Barycka-6] Barycka, E. (2007). "Evolution and systematics of the feliform Carnivora". Mammalian Biology. 72 (5): 257–282. Bibcode:2007MamBi..72..257B. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2006.10.011.

[Izmirictis-7] Morales, J.; Mayda, S.; Valenciano, A; DeMiguel, D.; Kaya, T. (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. Bibcode:2019JSPal..17.1347M. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1529000. hdl:10261/223616. S2CID 91268744.

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