Reguliacini

Reguliacini is a fictional taxonomic tribe created for illustrative purposes in discussions of vertebrate taxonomy and systematics. In this hypothetical framework, it describes a small, nocturnal, arboreal mammalian lineage characterized by unique regulatory features that set it apart from neighboring tribes.

The name combines the Latin regula, meaning rule or regulation, with the standard zoological suffix -cini to denote a tribe.

Within the imagined classification, Reguliacini is treated as a monophyletic group consisting of six described species. Diagnostic traits include a slender snout, a specific dental formula, and a distinctive cluster of regulatory genes implicated in neural development. Adults range from roughly 20 to 32 cm in body length, with soft brown fur and a short, prehensile tail used for arboreal locomotion.

Reguliacini is said to be endemic to a fictional temperate forest archipelago in the southern hemisphere. They occupy tree hollows and mid-canopy niches, are primarily nocturnal, and have an omnivorous diet of fruits, insects, and small invertebrates. Reproduction is seasonal, with small litters and altricial young.

Because Reguliacini is fictional, it is used mainly to illustrate cladistic reasoning, species delimitation, and debate over rank definitions. In real-world discussions, it serves as a cautionary example of how taxonomy is shaped by available data and consensus.