Wikipedia:
Cimolestes
| Cimolestes Fossil range: Late Cretaceous to Paleocene |
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Cimolestes ("White Clay Thief") is a genus of primitive, opossum-like placental mammals. The species are found primarily in North America, where they first appeared during the Late Cretaceous, and died out during the Paleocene.[1]
They were once considered to be marsupials, but now are considered to be members of the order Cimolesta (which was named after the genus).
Pangolins and Carnivora (that is, the Ferae clade) are believed to be the Cimolestids' closest living relatives.
References
- ^ McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 023111012X.
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