Anomalure
All anomalurids have membranes between their front and hind legs like those of the boreal flying squirrels, but they are not closely related to those, flying squirrels that form the separate tribe Petauristini of the family Sciuridae.By extending their limbs, anomalures transform themselves into a gliding platform that they control by manipulating the membranes and tail.[4] Like North American flying squirrels, these species have a cartilaginous rod that aids them in maintaining the extension of the patagium when in flight; unlike flying squirrels, their cartilage originates at the elbow joint rather than at the wrist.They are primarily herbivorous, and may travel up to 6 km (3.7 mi) from their roosting tree in search of leaves, flowers, or fruit, although they also eat a small amount of insects.[3] Anomalurids represent one of several independent evolutions of gliding ability in mammals, having evolved from climbing animals.
Late EocenePreꞒBeecroft's flying squirrelJoseph WolfScientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataMammaliaRodentiaAnomaluromorphaGervaisd'OrbignyType genusAnomalurusWaterhouseIdiurusrodentsborealflying squirrelsPetauristiniSciuridaesciuridcartilaginouspatagiumherbivorousindependent evolutionsmammalsEurasiacolugosmarsupialgliding possumsAustraliaLord Derby's scaly-tailed flying squirrelPel's flying squirrelDwarf scaly-tailed squirrelLong-eared flying mousePygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrelKabirmysHudson Institute of MineralogyWilson, D.E.Internet ArchiveBritannicaProceedings of the Zoological Society of LondonZoologica ScriptaBibcodeJournal of Vertebrate PaleontologyScientific AmericanEutheriaEuarchontogliresSciuromorphaAplodontiidae (Mountain beaver)Gliridae (Dormice)Sciuridae (Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, susliks and prairie dogs)CastorimorphaCastoroideaCastoridae (Beavers)GeomyoideaGeomyidae (Pocket gophers)Heteromyidae (Kangaroo rats and mice, pocket mice)MyomorphaDipodoideaDipodidae (Jerboas, jumping mice and birch mice)MuroideaPlatacanthomyidae (Oriental dormice)Spalacidae (Zokors, bamboo rats, mole rats, blind mole rats)Calomyscidae (Mouse-like hamsters)Nesomyidae (Malagasy rats and relatives)Cricetidae (Hamsters and relatives)Muridae (House mouse and relatives)Pedetidae (Springhares)HystricomorphaCtenodactylidae (Gundis)Diatomyidae (Laotian rock rat)Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)PhiomorphaBathyergidae (Blesmols)Petromuridae (Dassie rat)Thryonomyidae (Cane rats)Caviomorpha (New World hystricognaths)Erethizontidae (New World porcupines)Caviidae (Cavies)Cuniculidae (Pacas)Dasyproctidae (Agoutis and acouchis)Dinomyidae (Pacarana)Ctenomyidae (Tuco-tucos)Echimyidae (Spiny rats, coypus, hutias)Octodontidae (Degus and relatives)Abrocomidae (Chinchilla rats)Chinchillidae (Chinchillas and viscachas)AnomalurinaeBeecroft's flying squirrel (Anomalurus beecrofti)Lord Derby's scaly-tailed flying squirrel (Anomalurus derbianus)Pel's flying squirrel (Anomalurus pelii)Dwarf scaly-tailed squirrel (Anomalurus pusillus)ZenkerellinaeLong-eared flying mouse (Idiurus macrotis)Pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel (Idiurus zenkeri)ZenkerellaCameroon scaly-tail (Zenkerella insignis)WikidataWikispeciesiNaturalistOpen Tree of LifePaleobiology Database