Peradectidae

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|Paleocene|Miocene|earliest=Maastrichtian}}

| image = Peradectes sp 1.jpg

| image_caption = Fossil of Peradectes

| image2 = Mimoperadectes.jpg

| image2_caption = Life restoration of Mimoperadectes

| taxon = Peradectidae

| authority = Crochet, 1979

| subdivision = *Peradectes

}}

Peradectidae is a family of small metatherian mammals, spanning from the Paleocene (or possibly Latest Cretaceous) to the Miocene. Fossils are known from the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia and North America. The monophyly of the group has been questioned, with some authors suggesting that Peradectes should be the only genus placed in the family.{{Cite journal |last1=Williamson |first1=Thomas E. |last2=Brusatte |first2=Stephen L. |last3=Carr |first3=Thomas D. |last4=Weil |first4=Anne |last5=Standhardt |first5=Barbara R. |date=2012-12-01 |title=The phylogeny and evolution of Cretaceous–Palaeogene metatherians: cladistic analysis and description of new early Palaeocene specimens from the Nacimiento Formation, New Mexico |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2011.631592 |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |language=en |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=625–651 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2011.631592 |bibcode=2012JSPal..10..625W |issn=1477-2019|url-access=subscription }} The morphology of peradectids has been considered to be similar to opossums,{{Cite journal |last1=Ladevèze |first1=Sandrine |last2=Selva |first2=Charlène |last3=de Muizon |first3=Christian |date=2020-09-01 |title=What are "opossum-like" fossils? The phylogeny of herpetotheriid and peradectid metatherians, based on new features from the petrosal anatomy |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2020.1772387 |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |language=en |volume=18 |issue=17 |pages=1463–1479 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2020.1772387 |bibcode=2020JSPal..18.1463L |issn=1477-2019}} with at least some exhibiting morphology suggesting a tree dwelling arboreal/scansorial lifestyle.{{Cite journal |last1=Horovitz |first1=Inés |last2=Martin |first2=Thomas |last3=Bloch |first3=Jonathan |last4=Ladevèze |first4=Sandrine |last5=Kurz |first5=Cornelia |last6=Sánchez-Villagra |first6=Marcelo R. |date=2009-12-16 |editor-last=DeSalle |editor-first=Robert |title=Cranial Anatomy of the Earliest Marsupials and the Origin of Opossums |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=4 |issue=12 |pages=e8278 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0008278 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=2789412 |pmid=20016823}} Their diet is suggested to have included insects and fruit.{{Cite journal |last1=Crespo |first1=Vicente D. |last2=Goin |first2=Francisco J. |last3=Pickford |first3=Martin |date=2022-06-03 |title=The last African metatherian |url=https://fr.pensoft.net/article/80706/ |journal=Fossil Record |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=173–186 |doi=10.3897/fr.25.80706 |doi-access=free |issn=2193-0074|hdl=10362/151025 |hdl-access=free }}

Phylogenetic analysis suggest that they are less closely related to modern marsupials than herpetotheriids are.{{Cite journal |last1=de Muizon |first1=Christian |last2=Ladevèze |first2=Sandrine |date=2022-06-30 |title=New material of Incadelphys antiquus (Pucadelphyda, Metatheria, Mammalia) from the early Palaeocene of Bolivia reveals phylogenetic affinities with enigmatic North and South American metatherians |url=https://bioone.org/journals/geodiversitas/volume-44/issue-22/geodiversitas2022v44a22/New-material-of-Incadelphys-antiquus-Pucadelphyda-Metatheria-Mammalia-from-the/10.5252/geodiversitas2022v44a22.full |journal=Geodiversitas |volume=44 |issue=22 |doi=10.5252/geodiversitas2022v44a22 |issn=1280-9659}}

Cladogram after:{{clade|{{clade

|1=Deltatheriidae

|2={{clade

|1=Kokopellia

|2={{clade

|1=Asiatherium

|2={{clade

|1=Peradectidae

|2={{clade

|1=Stagodontidae

|2={{clade

|1={{clade