Helaletidae
| Helaletidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Skeleton of Helaletes nanus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Superfamily: | Tapiroidea |
| Family: | †Helaletidae Osborn, 1892 |
| Genera | |
The Helaletidae are an extinct family of tapiroid closely related and likely ancestral to the true tapirs, which contain Protapirus and all descendants. In alternative classifications, Helaletidae is treated as a subfamily within the Tapiridae, the Helaletinae.
Members of the family are defined by having less bilophodont cheek teeth compared to other tapiroids.