Thalassoleon
Extinct genus of carnivores / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thalassoleon ("sea lion"[1]) is an extinct genus of large fur seal. Thalassoleon inhabited the Northern Pacific Ocean in latest Miocene and early Pliocene. Fossils of T. mexicanus are known from Baja California and southern California. T. macnallyae is known from central California, and T. inouei (which may be a synonym of T. macnallyae) is known from Japan. Thalassoleon could be the ancestor of the modern northern fur seal.
Quick Facts Thalassoleon Temporal range: Late Miocene, Scientific classification ...
Thalassoleon Temporal range: Late Miocene | |
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Thalassoleon mexicanus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Clade: | Pinnipedia |
Family: | Otariidae |
Genus: | †Thalassoleon Repenning and Tedford, 1977 |
Type species | |
†Thalassoleon mexicanus Repenning and Tedford, 1977 | |
Species | |
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T. mexicanus was comparable in size to the largest modern fur seals, with an old-male skull length of 272 mm and an estimated minimal weight of 295–318 kg (650–700 lb).[1] Holotype of T. macnallyae, UCMP 112809, is a male equal in size to T. mexicanus.[1]