Pholidotamorpha ("pangolin-like forms") is a clade of placental, mostly ant- and termite-eating mammals that (partially) physically resemble the anteaters or armadillos.

[1] Both the Pholidota and Palaeanodonta orders were formerly placed with other orders of ant-eating mammals, most notably Xenarthra (armadillos, sloths, anteaters, which they superficially resemble); some palaeontologists, throughout the history of zoology, have placed pangolins and palaeanodonts as a suborder, Pholidota, in the greater order Cimolesta, alongside the extinct family Ernanodontidae as a separate suborder Ernanodonta near it.

However, this idea fell out-of-favor when it was determined that cimolestids were not truly placental mammals.

[2] Newer genetic evidence indicates instead that the closest living relatives to Pholidota are the members of order Carnivora, together forming the mirorder Ferae.

[6] The phylogenetic relationships of clade Pholidotamorpha are shown in the following cladogram:[7][8][1][6][9][10][11] Pan-Carnivora Eupholidota †Eurotamanduidae †Pholidota sp.