What is Laurasiatheria?
{{Automatic Taxobox | name = Laurasiatheria | fossil_range = [[Upper Cretaceous]] – Recent | image = Laurasiatheria.jpg | image_caption = | taxon = Laurasiatheria | authority = [[Peter J. Waddell|Waddell]] et al., 1999 | display_parents = 3 | subdivision_ranks = [[Order (biology)|Orders]] | subdivision = *[[Eulipotyphla]] *[[Chiroptera]] *[[Cetartiodactyla]] **[[Cetacea]] **[[Artiodactyla]] *[[Perissodactyla]] *[[Ferae]]: **[[Pholidota]] **[[Carnivora]]}} '''Laurasiatheria''' is a large group of [[placentalia|placental mammals]]. The name comes from the area where [[derived (biology)|advanced]] mammals [[evolved]]. This was on the northern [[supercontinent]] of [[Laurasia]], roughly corresponding to [[Eurasia]] today plus [[North America]]. When [[Pangaea]] broke up, it split first into Laurasia in the north and [[Gondwana]] in the south. Members of the group include [[shrew]]s, [[hedgehog]]s, [[pangolin]]s, [[bat]]s, [[whales]], most [[ungulate|hoofed mammals]], and [[carnivora]]ns, and others. The Laurasiatheria is defined by [[DNA]] [[sequence analysis]]. The group does not share any obvious [[Anatomy|anatomical]] features. It includes these [[Extant taxon|living]] [[order (biology)|orders]]: *[[Eulipotyphla]]: hedgehogs, gymnures, moles, shrews, solenodons (cosmopolitan) *[[Cetartiodactyla]]: cosmopolitan; includes former orders [[Cetacea]] (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and [[Artiodactyla]] (even-toed ungulates, including pigs, hippopotamus, camels, giraffe, deer, antelope, cattle, sheep, goats) *[[Pholidota]]: pangolins or scaly anteaters (Africa, South Asia) *[[Chiroptera]]: bats (cosmopolitan) *[[Carnivora]]: carnivores (cosmopolitan) *[[Perissodactyla]]: odd-toed ungulates There are various ideas as to how these groups are related to each other, and no tree of descent is agreed by experts so far.<ref>Zhou, Xuming ''et al'' 2011. Phylogenomic analysis resolves the interordinal relationships and rapid diversification of the laurasiatherian mammals. ''Systematic Biology'' '''61''' (1): 150–164. [