Editing Elephant shrew (section)

==Evolution==
A number of fossil species are known, all from Africa. They were separate from the similar-appearing order [[Leptictida]]. A considerable diversification of macroscelids occurred in the [[Paleogene]] period. The earliest definitive member was ''[[Chambia]]'' from the early-middle [[Eocene]] of [[Tunisia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tabuce |first=Rodolphe |date=2017-03-23 |title=New remains of Chambius kasserinensis from the Eocene of Tunisia and evaluation of proposed affinities for Macroscelidea (Mammalia, Afrotheria) |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2017.1297433 |journal=Historical Biology |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=e1 |doi=10.18563/m3.3.2.e1 |issn=2274-0422|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some early macroscelids, such as ''[[Myohyrax]]'', were so similar to [[hyrax]]es that they were initially included with that group, while others, such as ''[[Mylomygale]]'', were relatively [[rodent]]-like. These unusual forms all died out by the [[Pleistocene]].<ref>{{Cite book|author1=Savage, RJG|author2=Long, MR|name-list-style=amp|year=1986|title=Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/mammalevolutioni0000sava/page/54 54]|isbn=978-0-8160-1194-0|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalevolutioni0000sava/page/54}}</ref> Although macroscelids were classified in the past with many groups, often on the basis of superficial characteristics, considerable morphological and molecular evidence places them within [[Afrotheria]], at the base of [[Afroinsectivora]].<ref name="Tabuce2008">{{cite journal|url= http://phylodiversity.net/azanne/csfar/images/d/d9/Afrotherian_mammals.pdf|first1= R.|last1= Tabuce|first2= R. J.|last2= Asher|first3= T.|last3= Lehmann|year= 2008|title= Afrotherian mammals: a review of current data|journal= Mammalia|volume= 72|pages= 2–14|doi= 10.1515/MAMM.2008.004|s2cid= 46133294|access-date= 2020-08-15|archive-date= 2021-02-24|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210224122358/http://phylodiversity.net/azanne/csfar/images/d/d9/Afrotherian_mammals.pdf|url-status= usurped}}</ref>

In terms of timing, the divergence between macroscelids and afrosoricidans is thought to have occurred roughly 57.5 million years ([[megaannum|Ma]]) ago, in the late [[Paleocene]], while the diversification of extant macroscelids apparently began when the ''Rhynchocyon'' lineage split off about 33 Ma ago, in the early [[Oligocene]].<ref name="Heritage2020" /> ''Elephantulus'' is considered to have separated from Macroscelidini later in the Oligocene, about 28.5 Ma ago.<ref name="Heritage2020" />