Biology:Lutra euxena
| Lutra euxena Temporal range: 2.588 to 0.012 Ma
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|---|---|
Extinct (0.012 Ma)
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Lutra |
| Species: | †L. euxena
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| Binomial name | |
| †Lutra euxena (Bate 1935)
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| Synonyms | |
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†Nesolutra euxena Bate 1935 | |
Lutra euxena is an extinct species of otter that was endemic to Malta. Initially described under the genus Nesolutra by Dorothea Bate in 1835, it was reclassified to the current taxon in 1992. It inhabited the island during the middle to late Pleistocene era between 2.588 and 0.012 million years ago. The species likely crossed over from the mainland and later adopted a land based lifestyle in the islands. The otters likely went extinct because of the activity of early humans.
Taxonomy
Lutra euxena is classified under the otter family Mustelidae. It was named as Nesolutra euxena by Dorothea Bate in 1935, and was recombined as Lutra euxena by Willemsen in 1992.[1][2][3][4] As per Willemsen, Lutra simplicidens was a common ancestor to many of the otters from the Pleistocene and Holocene era that were endemic to the Mediterranean islands.[5]
Distribution
Lutra euxena was endemic to Malta and lived the middle to late Pleistocene era between 2.588 and 0.012 million years ago. It likely went extinct because of human activity.[6][7][8]
Morphology
Lutra euxena is described as relatively similar in size to other otters found in the Mediterranean region.[7] The species had strong forelimbs, evident from well developed grooves and lateral development of the muscles from fossilized specimens.[9] It probably colonized the islands of Malta by crossing the sea channels from the mainland. Later these otters adopted a land-based lifestyle, as there were few large mammals inhabiting the islands.[6][10] The otters consumed small mammals on the islands alongside fish and shellfish.[6]
References
- ↑ Bate, D. M. A. (1935). "Two new mammals from the Pleistocene of Malta". Zoological Society of London: 247–264. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1935.tb06248.x.
- ↑ Willemsen, G. F. (1992). "A Revision of the Pliocene and Quaternary Lutrinae from Europe". Scripta Geologica 10: 1-1154.
- ↑ "Nesolutra euxena". Paleo database. https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=157306&is_real_user=1.
- ↑ "Lutra euxena - The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database" (in en-gb). Recentlyextinctspecies.com. https://recentlyextinctspecies.com/carnivora-carnivores/lutra-euxena.
- ↑ Marco Cherin (1 March 2016). "A new otter from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla (Italy), with remarks on the evolutionary history of Mediterranean Quaternary Lutrinae (Carnivora, Mustelidae)". Quaternary Science Reviews 135: 92–102. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.01.008. Bibcode: 2016QSRv..135...92C. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379116300105.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Alcover, Josep Antoni; McMinn, Miquel (1994). "Predators of Vertebrates on Islands". BioScience 44 (1): 12–18. doi:10.2307/1312401. ISSN 0006-3568. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1312401.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lyras, George A.; van der Geer, Alexandra A. E.; Rook, Lorenzo (2010). "Body size of insular carnivores: evidence from the fossil record". Journal of Biogeography 37 (6): 1007–1021. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02312.x. ISSN 0305-0270. Bibcode: 2010JBiog..37.1007L. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40731389.
- ↑ "Two new Mammals from the Pleistocene of Malta". Journal of Zoology 105 (2): 247–264. August 2009. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1935.tb06248.x.
- ↑ A. Spaan, Annelies Kleijne, G. F. Willemsen, Jan H. Stel, M. Freudenthal, Marinus Boogaard, R. Daams, R. P. Kuijper, Alberto Marcos (1990). The Recurrence of Vogelgnathus Campbelli-dominated Conodont Faunas in the Visbéan and Early Namurian of the Cantabrian Mts: Issues 92-101. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum. p. 69.
- ↑ Alexandra van der Geer, George Lyras, John de Vos, Michael Dermitzakis (2011). Evolution of Island Mammals Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands. Wiley. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-444-39128-2.
Wikidata ☰ Q3267918 entry
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