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Pegasoferae ("winged beast") is a proposed clade of based on genomics research in molecular systematics by Nishihara, Hasegawa and Okada (2006).
To the surprise of the authors, their data led them to propose a clade that includes (order Chiroptera), carnivores such as and dogs (order Carnivora), and other odd-toed ungulates (order Perissodactyla) and pangolins (order Pholidota) as springing from a single origin within the mammals.
The name Pegasoferae was coined from the name of the mythological flying horse Pegasus to refer to bats and horses, and the term Ferae, encompassing carnivorans and pangolins. According to this, the odd-toed ungulates' closest living relatives are the carnivorans. Earlier theories of mammalian evolution would, for example, have aligned bats with the insectivora (order Eulipotyphla) and horses with the even-toed ungulates (order Artiodactyla).
Some subsequent molecular studies published shortly afterwards have failed to support it. In particular, two recent studies, each combining genome-wide analyses of multiple taxa with testing of competing alternative phylogenetic hypotheses, concluded that Pegasoferae is not a natural grouping.
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