Megalenhydris

Megalenhydris
	Photo of holotype in situ
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Genus:	†Megalenhydris; Willemsen & Maletesta, 1987
Species:	†M. barbaricina
Binomial name
	†Megalenhydris barbaricina; Willemsen & Maletesta, 1987

Megalenhydris barbaricina is a Late Pleistocene giant otter from Sardinia. It is known from a single skeleton, discovered in the Grotta di Ispinigoli near Dorgali, and was described in 1987.^[1] The species is one of four extinct otter species from Sardinia and Corsica. The others are Algarolutra majori, Lutra castiglionis^[2] and Sardolutra ichnusae.^[3] This otter was large, possibly even larger than the extant Pteronura, which can reach two meters in length.^[4] The structure of the teeth points to a diet of shellfish and/or crustaceans. A special characteristic of the species is the flattening of the first few caudal vertebrae (the remainder of the caudal vertebrae are not known). This might point to a slightly flattened tail.

References[]

^ G. F. Willemsen & A. Malatesta (1987). "Megalenhydris barbaricina sp. nov., a new otter from Sardinia". Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, B. 90: 83–92.
^ Pereira, E., and M. Salotti. "Cyrnolutra castiglionis, a new otter (Mustelidae, Lutrinae) from the Middle Pleistocene'Castiglione 3CG'deposit (Oletta, Corsica)." Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Séries IIA 331.1 (2000): 45-52. [1]
^ Gerard F. Willemsen (2006). "Megalenhydris and its relationship to Lutra reconsidered" (PDF). Hellenic Journal of Geosciences. 41: 83–87.
^ Darren Naish. "Islands of otters and strange foxes". Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.

External links[]

Darren Naish (December 20, 2007). "Islands of otters and strange foxes". Tetrapod Zoology. ScienceBlogs.
Lesley Wright (July 22, 2007). "Questions and Answers: In-Depth Responses". IUCN Otter Specialist Group.

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[1] G. F. Willemsen & A. Malatesta (1987). "Megalenhydris barbaricina sp. nov., a new otter from Sardinia". Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, B. 90: 83–92.

[Pereira-2] Pereira, E., and M. Salotti. "Cyrnolutra castiglionis, a new otter (Mustelidae, Lutrinae) from the Middle Pleistocene'Castiglione 3CG'deposit (Oletta, Corsica)." Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Séries IIA 331.1 (2000): 45-52. [1]

[Willemsen2006-3] Gerard F. Willemsen (2006). "Megalenhydris and its relationship to Lutra reconsidered" (PDF). Hellenic Journal of Geosciences. 41: 83–87.

[4] Darren Naish. "Islands of otters and strange foxes". Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.

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