Pseudocheiridae Winge 1893

Pseudocheiridae Winge 1893, Med. Udsigt over Pungdyrenes Slaegtskab. E. Mus . Lundii, 11 (2): 89.

Genera: 6 genera with 17 species in 3 subfamilies:

Subfamily Hemibelideinae Kirsch, Lapointe and Springer 1997

Genus Hemibelideus Collett 1884 (1 species)

Genus Petauroides Thomas 1888 (1 species with 2 subspecies)

Subfamily Pseudocheirinae Winge 1893

Genus Petropseudes Thomas 1923 (1 species)

Genus Pseudocheirus Ogilby 1837 (1 species with 4 subspecies)

Genus Pseudochirulus Matschie 1915 (8 species with 7 subspecies)

Subfamily Pseudochiropsinae Kirsch, Lapointe and Springer 1997

Genus Pseudochirops Matschie 1915 (5 species with 6 subspecies)

Discussion: Separated from Petauridae by Archer (1984); not recognized as a family by McKenna and Bell (1997), though retained by molecular workers (Kirsch et al., 1997), but Osborne and Christidis (2001) again questioned the separation. McKenna and Bell (1997) retained an old scheme whereby Hemibelideus, Pseudochirops, Pseudochirulus and Petropseudes are included in Pseudocheirus, and recognized only one other genus ( Schoinobates [sic], which correctly should be Petauroides); but Kirsch et al. (1997) showed that this does not reflect the true pattern of relationships, and is greatly over-lumped.