Phataginus

African tree pangolin (Phataginus) is a genus of African pangolins from subfamily small African pangolins (Phatagininae), within family Manidae.^[5] Its members are the more arboreal of the African pangolins.^[6]

African tree pangolin Temporal range: 13.3–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N middle Miocene - Present[1]
Pangolins from genus Phataginus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Pholidota
Family:	Manidae
Subfamily:	Phatagininae Gaubert, 2017
Genus:	Phataginus Rafinesque, 1821
Type species
Manis tetradactyla Linnaeus, 1766
Species
Phataginus tetradactyla Phataginus tricuspis
Phataginus tetradactyla   Phataginus tricuspis
Synonyms[2][3]
synonyms of subfamily: Uromaninae (Pocock, 1924) Uromanini (Pocock, 1924) synonyms of genus: Pangolinus (Rafinesque, 1821) Paramanis (Pocock, 1924) Phatages (Sundevall, 1843) Phatagin (Gray, 1865) Phataginus (Rafinesque, 1815) [nomen nudum] Triglochinopholis (Fitzinger, 1872) Uromanis (Pocock, 1924)[4]

From 2010 to 2019, at least 895,000 pangolins from the genus Phataginus were illegally trafficked. The animal is hunted and poached for its scales and meat, and is often used in making traditional medicine in places such as China and Vietnam. Attempts to protect these mammals from trafficking and extinction are ongoing; unfortunately their slow reproduction rate stymies population recovery. Currently the tree pangolin is listed as vulnerable. All pangolin species have been listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.^[7]

Etymology

Constantine Rafinesque (1821) formed the Neo-Latin generic name Phataginus from the French term phatagin, adopted by Count Buffon (1763) after the reported local name phatagin or phatagen used in the East Indies.

Taxonomy

• Subfamily: Phatagininae (small African pangolins)
  • Genus: Phataginus (African tree pangolin)
    • Phataginus tetradactyla (Long-tailed pangolin)
    • Phataginus tricuspis (Tree pangolin)

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic position of genus Phataginus within family Manidae.^[8][9][1]

Pholidotamorpha	†Palaeanodonta Pholidota †Euromanis ? †Pholidota sp. (BC 16’08) †Eurotamanduidae Eupholidota †Eomanoidea Manoidea †Patriomanidae ? †Necromanis Manidae Maninae ? †Manidае sp. (DPC 3972 & DPC 4364) Smutsiinae Smutsiinae (sensu stricto) Phatagininae Phataginus Phataginus tetradactyla Phataginus tricuspis sensu lato sensu stricto
(Pholidota sensu lato)