Orycteropodidae
Orycteropodidae (aardvark; superorder Protoungulata, order Tubulidentata) A family of animals, known from the Miocene in Africa and the Oligocene in Europe, that are isolated from all other mammal groups and that may be similar to Condylarthra. An orycteropodid is about the size of a small pig. The teeth are peg-like, consisting only of premolars and molars in the form of columns of dentine with no enamel, and grow continuously. The snout is long, the mouth round, the tongue long and worm-like. The animal is able to bury its snout in earth and locate and swallow prey while continuing to breathe. The limbs are specialized for digging, and digging is used as a means of escape from danger as well as to obtain food. The olfactory region of the brain is highly developed. The ears are long and the sense of hearing acute. There is only one extant species, Orycteropus afer (aardvark), distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara.
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Orycteropodidae
