Paenungulata
Paenungulata (from Latin "paene" "almost" + "ungulātus" "having hoofs") is a clade of "sub-ungulates", which groups three extant mammal orders: Proboscidea (including elephants), Sirenia (sea cows, including dugongs and manatees), and Hyracoidea (hyraxes). At least two more possible orders are known only as fossils, namely Embrithopoda and Desmostylia.

Molecular evidence indicates that Paenungulata (or at least its extant members) is part of the cohort Afrotheria, an ancient assemblage of mainly African mammals of great diversity. The other members of this cohort are the orders Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles), Macroscelidea (elephant shrews) and Tubulidentata (aardvarks).

Of the five orders, hyraxes are the most basal, followed by embrithopods; the remaining orders (sirenians, desmostylians, and elephants) are more closely interrelated. These latter three are grouped as the Tethytheria, because it is believed that their common ancestors lived on the shores of the prehistoric Tethys Sea; however, recent myoglobin studies indicate that even Hyracoidea had an aquatic ancestor.
Q397
Latin
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Q128007
hoofs
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Q713623
clade
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Q1231177
ungulates
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Q1898509
extant
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Q7377
mammal
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Q36602
orders
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Q26308
Proboscidea
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Q7378
elephant
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Q25431
Sirenia
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Q25431
sea cow
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Q129544
dugong
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Q42797
manatee
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Q53099
Hyracoidea
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Q53099
hyrax
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Q131666
Embrithopoda
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Q1139385
Desmostylia
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Q27399
Afrotheria
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Q15
Africa
LOC
Q328082
Afrosoricida
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Q23340
tenrec
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Q23351
golden mole
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Q9324400
elephant shrew
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Q46212
aardvark
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Q20862
Tethytheria
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Q208136
Tethys Sea
LOC
Q192642
myoglobin
Concept
Q53099
Hyracoidea
Concept
Q131950
Paenungulata
Concept
Q131950
Paenungulata
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parent taxon
found in taxon
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parent taxon
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