Pantolestidae: Difference between revisions

'''Pantolestidae''' is an extinct [[Family (biology)|family]] of semi-aquatic, [[placental]] [[eutherian]] [[mammals]] that took part in the first placental [[evolutionary radiation]] together with other early mammals such as the [[Leptictida|leptictids]].<ref name="Agusti-5">Agustí 2002, p 5</ref> Forming the core of the equally extinct suborder [[Pantolesta]], the pantolestids evolved as a series of increasingly otter-like forms, ranging from the [[Middle Paleocene]] (60 [[Million years ago|mya]]) ''[[Bessoecetor]]'' to the [[Late Eocene]] ([[Ergilian]]) (50-33 mya) ''[[Gobiopithecus]]'' and ''[[Kiinkerishella]]''. They first appear in North America, whence they spread to Europe.<ref name="Jehle">Jehle 2005</ref> In 2015, phylogenetic analyses suggested that they are more closely related to the [[pangolins]].<ref name="HallidayUpchurch2015">{{cite journal |last1=Halliday |first1=Thomas J. D. |last2=Upchurch |first2=Paul |last3=Goswami |first3=Anjali |title=Resolving the relationships of Paleocene placental mammals |journal=Biological Reviews |volume=92 |issue=1 |year=2015 |pages=521–550 |issn=1464-7931 |doi=10.1111/brv.12242 |pmid=28075073 |url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1473028/1/Halliday_et_al-Biological_Reviews.pdf |pmc=6849585}}</ref>