Valenictus sheperdi Boessenecker et al. 2024 (walrus)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Odobenidae

Full reference: R. W. Boessenecker, A. W. Poust, S. J. Boessenecker and M. Churchill. 2024. Tusked walruses (Carnivora: Odobenidae) from the Miocene–Pliocene Purisima Formation of Santa Cruz, California (U.S.A.): a new species of the toothless walrus Valenictus and the oldest records of Odobeninae and Odobenini. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (e2296567)1-33

Belongs to Valenictus according to R. W. Boessenecker et al. 2024

Sister taxa: Valenictus chulavistensis, Valenictus imperialensis

Type specimen: UCMP 219091, a skull (nearly complete cranium). Its type locality is Capitola 2, which is in a Zanclean marine sandstone in the Purisima Formation of California.

Ecology: amphibious carnivore

Distribution:

• Pliocene of United States (2: California collections)

Total: 2 collections each including a single occurrence

Show more details


Specimen images are retrieved through the ePANDDA API.


Click image to enlarge. Click to access iDigBio record.