Infraclass Eutheria Superorder Laurasiatheria Higher classification Laurasiatheria | Phylum Chordata Magnorder Boreoeutheria Scientific name Soricomorpha Rank Order | |
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Mass European mole: 88 g, Eurasian water shrew: 15 – 19 g Gestation period European mole: 30 days Lower classifications Shrew, Talpidae, Solenodon, Nesophontes | ||
The order Soricomorpha ("shrew-form") is a taxon within the class of mammals. In the past it formed a significant group within the former order Insectivora. However, Insectivora was shown to be polyphyletic and various new orders were split off from it, including Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles), Macroscelidea (elephant shrews), and Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures), with just the four families shown here remaining. Insectivora was left empty and disbanded.
Subsequently, Soricomorpha itself was shown to be paraphyletic, because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs. The combination of Soricomorpha and Erinaceidae, referred to as order Eulipotyphla, has been shown to be monophyletic.
Living members of the order range in size from the Etruscan shrew, at about 3.5 cm and 2 grams, to the Cuban solenodon, at about 32 cm and 1 kg.
