Rytiodus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rytiodus Fossil range: Miocene |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
|
Fossil
|
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Rytiodus capgrandi Lartet, 1866 |
Rytiodus capgrandi is an extinct genus of sirenian.
With a length of 6 m (20 ft), Rytiodus was about twice the size as modern sirenians, surpassed only by the Steller's sea cow, which was up to 8 m (27 ft) long. Like its closest modern relatives, the dugongs, Rytiodus had a pair flippers, a streamlined body and a tail fin. Its flattened snout allowed it to feed in shallow coastal waters. Unlike modern sirenians, Rytiodus had short tusks which it may have used to extract food from the sand.
[edit] References
- Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life. , Simon & Schuster.
- David Norman. (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. Pg.347-348, Welcome Books.
[edit] See also
 This prehistoric mammal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This paleontology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
