Palaeoryctidae

Palaeoryctidae, meaning "ancient diggers," is an extinct family of non-specialized eutherian mammals belonging to the order Palaeoryctida. These small, shrew-like insectivores lived during the late Cretaceous to the middle Eocene periods in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. A near-complete skull from the genus *Palaeoryctes* found in New Mexico reveals they had an elongated snout similar to leptictids but lacked detailed postcranial anatomy. Dental morphology suggests a primarily insectivorous diet, though some traits relate to early Eocene carnivores like creodonts.

The phylogenetic relationships of Palaeoryctidae are uncertain and have been debated. Originally classified under the now-abandoned grouping Insectivora by Sloan and Van Valen in 1965, they were later assigned to Proteutheria and then Eutheria by Scott et al. in 2002. A 2022 study by Bertrand et al. identified them as a basal group of placental mammals. Palaeoryctidae has often served as a "wastebasket taxon" for archaic insectivorous mammals, reflecting their unclear evolutionary position.

A 2024 study noted shared cranial features between palaeoryctids and leptictids, suggesting either a close relationship, plesiomorphic retentions, or convergent traits. Unlike the short-lived leptictids, palaeoryctids appear to have given rise to Eocene species. Their classification and phylogeny remain subjects of ongoing research.