Afrotheria, comprising aardvarks, elephant shrews, African elephants, hyraxes, tenrecs, golden moles and manatees, are believed to be the most basal clade, arising approximately 105 mya 37,38.

At first glance, elephants and hyraxes appear worlds apart. Elephants are massive creatures with trunks, whereas hyraxes are small, rodent-like animals. However, these seemingly disparate creatures ...