[3] The earliest unambiguous eutherians are known from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China, dating around 120 million years ago.

[5][6] Another possible eutherian species Juramaia sinensis has been dated at 161 million years ago from the early Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) of China.

Members of the Adapisoriculidae, Cimolesta and Leptictida have been previously placed within the outdated placental group Insectivora, while zhelestids have been considered primitive ungulates.

[33] However, more recent studies have suggested these enigmatic taxa represent stem group eutherians, more basal to Placentalia.

[39] Metatheria †Sinodelphys †Ambolestes †Acristatherium †Microtherulum †Cokotherium †Juramaia †Eomaia †Prokennalestes †Murtoilestes †Montanalestes †Daulestes †Ukhaatherium †Asioryctes †Kennalestes †Gypsonictops †Cimolestes †Zalambdalestes †Aspanlestes †Protungulatum †Eoungulatum †Leptictis Placentalia Below is a phylogeny from Gheerbrant & Teodori (2021):[40] Eomaia Prokennalestes Murtoilestes Bobolestes Montanalestes Paranyctoides Sheikhdheilia Lainodon Alostera Eozhelestes Avitotherium Parazhelestes Aspanlestes Zhelestes Borisodon Gallolestes Eoungulatum Valentinella Azilestes Bulaklestes Daulestes Uchkududon Cimolestes Maelestes Batodon Kennalestes Asioryctes Ukhaatherium Deccanolestes Kulbeckia Zhangolestes Zalambdalestes Barunlestes Alymlestes Mistralestes Gypsonictops Leptictis Purgatorius Protungulatum Oxyprimus Arctocyon Vulpavus Miacis Diacodexis Hyopsodus Meniscotherium Phenacodus extant Placentalia Many non-placental eutherians are thought to have been insectivores, as is the case with many primitive mammals.