Tapiroidea

This article is about the superfamily Tapiroidea. For the family of tapiroids, see Tapir.

Tapiroidea Temporal range: Early Eocene to Recent
File:Tapirus terrestris.jpg
Brazilian tapir
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Clade:	Tapiromorpha
Suborder:	Ceratomorpha
Superfamily:	Tapiroidea Gill, 1872
Families
See text

Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapirs and their extinct relatives. Taxonomically, they are placed in suborder Ceratomorpha along with the rhino superfamily, Rhinocerotoidea. The first members of Tapiroidea appeared during the Early Eocene, 55 million years ago, and were present in North America and Asia during the Eocene. Tapiridae first appeared during the early Oligocene in Europe, and are thought to have originated from the tapiroid family Helaletidae.

Taxonomy

• Superfamily Tapiroidea
  • Family †Deperetellidae
    • Genus †Bahinolophus
    • Genus †Deperetella
    • Genus †Irenolophus
    • Genus †Teleolophus
  • Family Tapiridae
    • Genus †Eotapirus
    • Genus †Miotapirus
    • Genus †Nexuotapirus
    • Genus †Paratapirus
    • Genus †Plesiotapirus
    • Genus †Protapirus (syn. Tanyops)
    • Genus †Tapiravus
    • Genus Tapirus

  • File:Tapirus (Megatapirus) augustus skull compared to a Protapirus simplex skull (cropped).jpg

    The Pleistocene giant tapir (Tapirus augustus) compared to the Oligocene Protapirus simplex.

    Family †Helaletidae
    • Genus †Colodon
    • Genus †Dilophodon
    • Genus †Helaletes
    • Genus †Heptodon
    • Genus †Heteraletes
    • Genus †Paracolodon
    • Genus †Plesiocolopirus
• Placement uncertain
  • Genus †Indolophus
  • Genus †Thuliadanta