Tenrecomorpha
{{Short description|Suborder of mammals}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Lowland Streaked Tenrec, Mantadia, Madagascar.jpg
| image_caption = Lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus)
| image2 = Potamogale velox 340101862.jpg
| image2_caption = Giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox)
| taxon = Tenrecomorpha
| subdivision_ranks = Superfamilies and families
| subdivision = *Potamogaloidea
| range_map = Tenrecomorpha Range.jpg
}}
Tenrecomorpha is the suborder of otter shrews and tenrecs, a group of afrotherian mammals indigenous to equatorial Africa and Madagascar, respectively.{{MSW3 Afrosoricida | id = 11100002 | pages = 72–77}} The two families are thought to have split about 47–53 million years ago.{{cite journal|last1= Everson|first1=K. M.|last2= Soarimalala|first2= V.|last3= Goodman|first3=S. M.|last4= Olson|first4= L. E.|title= Multiple Loci and Complete Taxonomic Sampling Resolve the Phylogeny and Biogeographic History of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and Reveal Higher Speciation Rates in Madagascar's Humid Forests|journal=Systematic Biology|volume= 65|issue= 5|year= 2016|pages= 890–909|doi= 10.1093/sysbio/syw034|pmid=27103169|doi-access= free}}{{cite journal|last1= Douady|first1=C. J.|last2= Catzeflis|first2= F.|last3= Kao|first3=D. J.|last4= Springer|first4=M. S.|last5= Stanhope|first5=M. J.|title= Molecular Evidence for the Monophyly of Tenrecidae (Mammalia) and the Timing of the Colonization of Madagascar by Malagasy Tenrecs|journal= Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume= 22|issue= 3|year= 2002|pages= 357–363|doi= 10.1006/mpev.2001.1055|pmid=11884160|bibcode=2002MolPE..22..357D }}{{cite journal|last1= Poux|first1= C.|last2= Madsen|first2= O.|last3= Glos|first3= J.|last4=de Jong|first4=W. W.|last5= Vences|first5= M.|title= Molecular phylogeny and divergence times of Malagasy tenrecs: Influence of data partitioning and taxon sampling on dating analyses|journal= BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume= 8|issue= 1|year= 2008|pages= 102|doi= 10.1186/1471-2148-8-102|pmid= 18377639|pmc= 2330147|bibcode= 2008BMCEE...8..102P|doi-access= free}} Potamogalid otter shrews were formerly considered a subfamily of Tenrecidae. The suborder is also presumed to contain the extinct genus Plesiorycteropus, a group of possibly fossorial insectivores similar to aardvarks, which is known to be more closely related to tenrecs of subfamily Tenrecinae than to golden moles of suborder Chrysochloridea.{{cite journal|last1= Buckley|first1= M.|title=A Molecular Phylogeny of Plesiorycteropus Reassigns the Extinct Mammalian Order 'Bibymalagasia'|journal= PLOS ONE|volume= 8|issue= 3|year= 2013|pages= e59614|doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0059614|pmid= 23555726|pmc= 3608660|bibcode= 2013PLoSO...859614B|doi-access= free}}
Otter shrews are carnivorous and semiaquatic, preying on any aquatic animal they can find with their sensitive whiskers. All tenrecs are believed to descend from a common ancestor that lived 29–37 million years (Ma) ago after rafting from Africa to Madagascar in a single event.{{Cite web | last = Kinver | first = M. | title = Mammals 'floated to Madagascar' | work = BBC News web site | publisher = BBC | date = 2010-01-20 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/green_room/8468163.stm | access-date = 2010-01-20}}{{Cite journal | last = Ali | first = J. R. |author2=Huber, M. | title = Mammalian biodiversity on Madagascar controlled by ocean currents | journal = Nature | volume = 463 | issue = 4 Feb. 2010 | pages = 653–656 | publisher = Nature Publishing Group | date = 2010-01-20 | doi = 10.1038/nature08706 | pmid = 20090678 | bibcode=2010Natur.463..653A| s2cid = 4333977 }} Tenrecs are widely diverse; as a result of convergent evolution they resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums or mice. All tenrecs appear to be at least somewhat omnivorous, with invertebrates forming the largest part of their diets.
References
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{{Afrosoricida|T.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15614736}}
{{afrosoricida-stub}}