The dung beetle genus, Phanaeus (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), is a presumably monophyletic genus that contains at least 50 species and 4 subspecies; five from America north of Mexico, 30 from Mexico and Central America, and 19 from South America. The principal purpose of this project is to present the first phylogenetic hypothesis of Phanaeus using morphological and molecular data. A data matrix using 49 Phanaeus species and several species from outgroup genera (Oxysternon, Coprophanaeus, and Sulcophanaeus) was created. The data set contains over 50 morphological characters, such as characters of the head (shape of clypeus, cephalic process, and female carina), pronotum (shape and sculpturing of pronotal disk and presence/absence of basal fossae), elytra (punctation, shape) and legs (shape of meso-tibial spur and of front tibia). Internal morphological characters include those of the male genitalia and the labrum. Molecular data contains sequences from the first subunit of mithochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI). This research re-evaluates the monophyly of Phanaeus. Furthermore, the relationships among Phanaeus species are examined, with special attention to previously proposed species groups. Future analyses beyond this research will include an additional gene for molecular data, behavioral data and an examination of the biogeography of the group.