Afroinsectiphilia (African insectivores) is a clade of afrotherian mammals that includes the golden moles, otter shrews, tenrecs, elephant shrews and aardvarks.
Afroinsectiphilia was first identified based on the results of molecular phylogenetic studies. Many of the taxa within it were once regarded as part of the order Insectivora, but Insectivora is now considered to be polyphyletic and obsolete.
Additionally, there might be some dental synapomorphies uniting afroinsectiphilians: p4 talonid and trigonid of similar breadth, a prominent p4 hypoconid, presence of a P4 metacone and absence of parastyles on M1âÂÂ2. Additional features uniting ptolemaiidans and tubulidentates specifically include hypsodont molars that wear down to a flat surface; a long and shallow mandible with an elongated symphyseal region; and trigonids and talonids that are separated by lateral constrictions.
The sister group of Afroinsectiphilia is Paenungulata, the group containing hyraxes, sirenians and elephants, which were traditionally regarded as ungulates.