Enhydra
Enhydra is a genus of mustelid that contains the sea otter and two extinct relatives.
| Enhydra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Subfamily: | Lutrinae |
| Genus: | Enhydra Fleming, 1828 |
| Species | |
|
Enhydra lutris - Sea otter | |
Sea otters probably diverged from other otters during the Pliocene, approximately 5 mya.[1] They probably arose from the closely related Enhydritherium.
Enhydra reevesi, the oldest known species, has its origins in the Atlantic, suggesting this may have been where sea otters originated.[1] Fossil evidence indicates the Enhydra lineage became isolated in the North Pacific approximately 2 million years ago, giving rise to the now-extinct Enhydra macrodonta and the modern sea otter.
References
- Davis, Randall W. (2019). Marine Mammals: Adaptations for an Aquatic Life. Springer International Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 9783319982809.
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