Eutheria

The entocuneiform bone

Distinguishing features are:

• an enlarged malleolus ("little hammer") at the bottom of the tibia, the larger of the two shin bones[4]
• the joint between the first metatarsal bone and the entocuneiform bone (the innermost of the three cuneiform bones) in the foot is offset farther back than the joint between the second metatarsal and middle cuneiform bones—in metatherians these joints are level with each other[4]
• various features of jaws and teeth[4]

• Infraclass: Placentalia
• Clade: †Tamirtheria
  • Order: †Asioryctitheria
  • Order: †Cimolesta[5]
  • Order: †Leptictida
  • Family: †Zalambdalestidae
• Family: †Adapisoriculidae
• Family: †Didymoconidae
• Family: †Zhelestidae
• Genus: †Acristatherium
• Genus: †Ambolestes
• Genus: †Bobolestes
• Genus: †Cokotherium
• Genus: †Durlstodon
• Genus: †Durlstotherium
• Genus: †Endotherium
• Genus: †Eomaia?
• Genus: †Juramaia
• Genus: †Montanalestes
• Genus: †Murtoilestes
• Genus: †Sinodelphys?

Eutheria contains several extinct genera as well as larger groups, many with complicated taxonomic histories still not fully understood. Members of the Adapisoriculidae, Cimolesta and Leptictida have been previously placed within the outdated placental group Insectivora, while Zhelestids have been considered primitive ungulates.[6] However, more recent studies have suggested these enigmatic taxa represent stem group eutherians, more basal to Placentalia.[7][8]

The weakly favoured cladogram favours Boreoeuthearia as a basal eutherian clade as sister to the Atlantogenata.[9][10][11]