Enhydra

Enhydra; Temporal range: 5–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Pliocene – Recent
	Sea otter (Enhydra lutris)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Subfamily:	Lutrinae
Genus:	Enhydra; Fleming, 1828
Species
	Enhydra lutris - Sea otter; †Enhydra macrodonta; †Enhydra reevei

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Enhydra is a genus of mustelid that contains the sea otter and two extinct relatives. It is the only extant genus of the bunodont otters group, referring to otters with non-blade carnassials with rounded cusps.^[1]

Sea otters probably diverged from other otters during the Pliocene, approximately 5 mya.^[2] They probably arose from the closely related Enhydritherium, a bunodont otter endemic to North America during the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs.^[1]

Enhydra reevei, the oldest known species, has its origins in the Atlantic, suggesting this may have been where sea otters originated.^[2] 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

^ ^a ^b "Enhydritherium terraenovae". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b Davis, Randall W. (2019). Marine Mammals: Adaptations for an Aquatic Life. Springer International Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 9783319982809.

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[bunodont-1] "Enhydritherium terraenovae". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 October 2022.

[davis-2] Davis, Randall W. (2019). Marine Mammals: Adaptations for an Aquatic Life. Springer International Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 9783319982809.

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