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Glite Dictionary
Menotyphla

Menotyphla

9.9
A former scientific group of mammals that included elephant shrews and tree shrews
  • noun
  • Archaic
: Menotyphla
  • The order Menotyphla once grouped elephant shrews and tree shrews together.

Examples

  • Recent studies have shown that Menotyphla is not a natural grouping of species.

  • The Menotyphla order was once significant in mammalian classification.

  • Few biologists today use the term Menotyphla in mammalian classification.

  • Did you know that Menotyphla included both elephant shrews and tree shrews?

  • The order Menotyphla was previously used to classify elephant shrews and tree shrews as related mammals.

  • In historical taxonomy, Menotyphla referred to a group that included some small insectivorous mammals.

  • Many researchers no longer recognize Menotyphla as a valid taxonomic group in modern mammal classification.

Surface Forms

Menotyphla singular
Menotyphlas plural

Etymology

Menotyphla is a scientific name made from Greek-like parts and was used for a one-time group of small, 'shrew-like' mammals. A helpful way to remember it is to notice the parts meno- and -typhla and think of the -typhla ending as meaning 'shrew-like', because the name once grouped elephant shrews and tree shrews and is now obsolete.