Siamogale melilutra
Siamogale melilutra was an extinct species of giant otter.[1] It is from the late Miocene epoch, from Yunnan province, China.[2] The skull has a combination of otter-like and badger-like cranial features.[2] The new species belongs to the Lutrinae subfamily.[3] Siamogale melilutra was about the size of a wolf.[4] It was estimated to about 50 kilograms (110 lb).[2] This is two to three times larger than any modern otter species.[5]
| Siamogale melilutra | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Siamogale |
| Species: | S. melilutra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Siamogale melilutra Wang, Grohé, Su, White, Ji, Kelley, You & Yang, 2017
| |
Siamogale Melilutra Media
- Siamogale melilutra skull.jpg
A nearly complete cranium of a young adult Siamogale melilutra: right lateral and dorsal views.
References
- ↑ Sid Perkins (January 23, 2017). "Enormous otters once roamed southwestern China". Science AAAS. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Siamogale melilutra: Giant Otter Fossils Reveal New Species". Sci News. January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ Xiaoming Wang; et al. (2018). "A new otter of giant size, Siamogale melilutra sp. nov. (Lutrinae: Mustelidae: Carnivora), from the latest Miocene Shuitangba site in north-eastern Yunnan, south-western China, and a total-evidence phylogeny of lutrines". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16: 39–65. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1267666. S2CID 58892181.
- ↑ Cleveland Museum of Natural History (January 23, 2017). "Wolf-size extinct otter discovered: 6.24 million years old". ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ "Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China". NPR. January 23, 2017.