| Insectivora | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||
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| Families | ||||||||
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Erinaceidae Soricidae Talpidae Solenodontidae |
The biological order Insectivora in the past was used as a scrapbasket for a variety of small to very small, relatively unspecialized, insectivorous mammals. The taxonomy has been refined in recent years, and tree shrews, elephant shrews, and colugos have now been placed in separate orders.
However, molecular evidence also indicates that golden moles and tenrecs should be separated as a new order Afrosoricida comprising Chrysochloridae (golden moles) and Tenrecidae (tenrecs).
This leaves the Insectivora containing only the families Soricidae, shrews; Erinaceidae, hedgehogs and allies; Talpidae, moless; and Solenodontidae, solenodons.