What is "lipotyphla"

Lipotyphla \Lipotyphla\ n. A suborder of mammals including the moles; hedgehogs; and true shrews.

Syn: suborder Lipotyphla.

Lipotyphla is a formerly used invalid order of mammals, including the members of the order Eulipotyphla (i.e. the solenodons, family Solenodontidae; hedgehogs and gymnures, family Erinaceidae; desmans, moles, and shrew-like moles, family Talpidae; and true shrews, family Soricidae) as well as two other families of the former order Insectivora, Chrysochloridae (golden moles) and Tenrecidae (tenrecs). However, molecular studies found the golden moles and tenrecs to be unrelated to the others (these afrotherian groups were then put in their own order, Afrosoricida). This made Lypotyphla an invalid polyphyletic order and gave rise to the notion of Eulypotyphla instead, an exclusively laurasiatherian grouping.