 Several groups of opossums, including "Thylophorops", "Thylatheridium", "Hyperdidelphys", and sparassocynins developed carnivorous adaptations during the late Miocene-Pliocene, prior to the arrival of carnivorans in South America.Most of these groups with the exception of "Lutreolina" are now extinct.The word "opossum" is borrowed from the Powhatan language and was first recorded between 1607 and 1611 by John Smith (as "opassom") and William Strachey (as "aposoum").