plural noun

• A group of mammals that comprises the marsupials.

  Compare with Eutheria

  Infraclass Metatheria, subclass Theria

  ‘Yet the teeth of deltatheroidans are of remarkably primitive construction; if they are related to marsupials, an extremely early divergence of Metatheria and Eutheria is implied.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘These evolutionary ties between the South American Microbiotheriidae and the Australian marsupials help to illuminate the biogeographic history of the Metatheria.’
  • ‘The data presented here encompassed 5 Metatheria (order Didelphimorphia) and 62 Eutheria: 15 Xenarthra, 24 Euarchontoglires, as well as 23 Laurasiatheria (22 Chiroptera and 1 species from Perissodactyla).’
  • ‘In all cases, a representative of the mammalian infraclass Metatheria was designated as an outgroup.’