Euarchontoglires

Euarchontoglires

Euarchontoglires is a clade and a superorder of mammals, first established by molecular methods in 2001. The group includes rodents, lagomorphs, treeshrews, colugos, and primates, including humans.

Taxonomy and Evolution

The Euarchontoglires clade is a result of the molecular phylogenetic revolution. The name Euarchontoglires, coined in 2001, is derived from the combination of Euarchonta and Glires, which were previously considered separate clades.

The Euarchontoglires are part of the larger clade of Placentalia, which includes all living placental mammals. They are hypothesized to have diverged from the Laurasiatheria clade around 85-95 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period.

Characteristics

Members of the Euarchontoglires clade share several common characteristics. These include a similar arrangement of the carotid arteries, the presence of a postorbital bar, and a similar pattern of the molar teeth.

Classification

The Euarchontoglires clade is divided into two main groups: the Glires, which includes rodents and lagomorphs, and the Euarchonta, which includes treeshrews, colugos, and primates.

Importance in Medical Research

Due to their close genetic relationship to humans, several members of the Euarchontoglires clade, particularly rodents, are important in medical research. They serve as model organisms in a variety of studies, including those related to genetics, disease, and drug testing.

See Also

• Mammal classification
• Evolution of mammals
• Molecular phylogenetics