Treeshrew

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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Treeshrews | image = Anathana_ellioti.jpg | image_caption = Madras Treeshrew (Anathana ellioti) | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Mammalia | ordo = Scandentia | ordo_authority = Wagner, 1855 | subdivision_ranks = Families | subdivision =

}}

The treeshrews are small mammals native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They make up the families Tupaiidae and Ptilocercidae and the entire order Scandentia. There are 20 species in 5 genera. Treeshrews have the highest brain to body mass ratio, even higher than human.

Although called treeshrews, they are not shrews (although they were previously classified in the Insectivora), and are not all arboreal. Among other things, they eat Rafflesia fruit.

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Classification

Treeshrews were moved from Insectivora to the Primates order, because of certain internal similarities to the latter, and classified as a primitive prosimian. However, recent molecular phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that treeshrews should be given the same rank (order) as the primates and, with the primates and the flying lemurs, belong to the clade Euarchonta. The Euarchonta are sister to the Glires (lagomorphs and rodents), and the two groups are combined into the clade Euarchontoglires. 

Euarchontoglires
    |--Glires
    |    |--rodents (Rodentia)
    |    |--rabbits, hares, pikas (Lagomorpha)
    \--Euarchonta
         |--tree shrews (Scandentia)
         \--N.N.
              |--flying lemurs (Dermoptera)
              \--N.N.
                   |--Plesiadapiformes (extinct)
                   \--primates (Primates)
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References

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External links

Mammals
Monotremata

Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia | Paucituberculata | Microbiotheria | Notoryctemorphia | Dasyuromorphia | Peramelemorphia | Diprotodontia

Placentalia: Afrosoricida | Macroscelidea | Tubulidentata | Hyracoidea | Proboscidea | Sirenia | Cingulata | Pilosa | Scandentia | Dermoptera | Primates | Rodentia | Lagomorpha | Insectivora | Chiroptera | Pholidota | Carnivora | Perissodactyla | Artiodactyla | Cetacea

cs:Tany

de:Spitzhörnchen es:Scandentia eo:Tupajuloj fr:Scandentia it:Tupaia li:Boumspitsmuis nl:Toepaja's ja:ツパイ目 no:Trespissmus pl:Wiewióreczniki pt:Scandentia ru:Тупайеобразные sv:Spetsekorrar

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