Lontra weiri
Extinct species of carnivore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lontra weiri (Weir's otter) is a fossil species in the carnivoran family Mustelidae from the Hagerman Fossil Beds of Idaho. It shared its habitat with Satherium piscinarium, a probable ancestor of the giant otter of South America.[1] It is named in honor of musician Bob Weir, and is the oldest known member of its genus.[2] Prior to its discovery, Lontra was thought to have evolved from Lutra licenti, which dates from the Pleistocene of East Asia.[3]
| Weir's otter Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Lontra |
| Species: | †L. weiri |
| Binomial name | |
| †Lontra weiri Prassack (2016) | |
Description
Weir's otter was intermediate in form between Lutra (Old World river otters) and modern members of its genus. It was a small otter, similar in size to the modern marine otter (Lontra felina),[2] which has a head-body length of 33 to 44 inches and can weigh up to 12 pounds.[4] It is known from most of a right mandible and a left humerus.[2]
