Amphiperatherium is part of an evolutionary radiation of opossum-like metatherians, known as Herpetotheriidae, typical of the Early Cenozoic of Europe, Asia and North America, currently considered either the most primitive of all marsupials, or the sister taxon of Marsupialia.

Amphiperatherium was not only the more recent herpetotheriid known, but also the last marsupial known in Europe, becoming extinct during the Middle Miocene, 15 millions of years ago.

The genus was first described by Filhol in 1879, based on material found in France, but additional fossils were later found in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic and England, the genus surviving for 35 millions of years, from the Early Eocene to the Late Miocene.

Amphiperatherium must have been an evolutionary success, allowing the genus to survive for millions of years without undergoing important changes.

The morphological characteristics of Amphiperatherium indicates that, unlike similar but smaller genera such as Peradectes, spent most of its time on the ground.