AI overview
Macroscelididae is a family of small, mouse-like mammals found in Africa that are known for their elongated snouts and long hind legs. These animals, commonly called elephant shrews or sengis, are notable to scientists because their evolutionary history and genetic relationships have provided important insights into how mammal families are classified and connected to one another.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderMacroscelidea
- FamilyMacroscelididae
via GBIF · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Macroscelidea
- Image
- Macroscelides. proboscideus.6869.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- P105
- family
Article
Elephant shrews, also called jumping shrews or sengis, are small insectivorous mammals native to Africa, belonging to the family Macroscelididae, in the order Macroscelidea. Their traditional common English name "elephant shrew" comes from a perceived resemblance between their long noses and the trunk of an elephant, and their superficial similarity with shrews (family Soricidae) in the order Eulipotyphla. However, phylogenetic analysis has revealed that elephant shrews are not properly classified with true shrews, but are in fact more closely related to elephants than to shrews. In 1997, the biologist Jonathan Kingdon proposed that they instead be called "sengis" (singular sengi), a term derived from the Bantu languages of Africa, and in 1998, they were classified into the new clade Afrotheria.
R. petersi skeleton, Museum of Osteology Eastern rock elephant shrew, Elephantulus myurus, South Africa Bushveld elephant shrew, E. intufi, Namibia