Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Enhydra (sea otter)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae

Taxonomy
Enhydra was named by Fleming (1822) [also said to be 1828]. It is extant.

It was assigned to Enhydrina by Gray (1825); to Mustelidae by Fleming (1822) and Carroll (1988); to Lutrinae by Scheffer and Rice (1963), Kurten and Anderson (1980) and Marmi et al. (2004); and to Enhydrini by Willemsen (1992), Pickford (2007) and Boessenecker (2018).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1822Enhydra Fleming
1825Enhydra Gray p. 340
1963Enhydra Scheffer and Rice p. 2
1980Enhydra Kurten and Anderson p. 160
1988Enhydra Carroll
1992Enhydra Willemsen p. 62
2004Enhydra Marmi et al. p. 492
2007Enhydra Pickford p. 122 figs. Fig. 23
2018Enhydra Boessenecker

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Ferae()
CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderCaniformiaKretzoi 1943
infraorderCanoidea(Simpson 1931)
superfamilyArctoideaFlower 1869
Mustelida
familyMustelidaeFischer 1817
subfamilyLutrinaeBaird 1857
genusEnhydraFleming 1822

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Enhydra Fleming 1822 [sea otter]
show all | hide all
Enhydra lutris Linnaeus 1758 [sea otter]
Enhydra macrodonta Kilmer 1972
Enhydra reevei Newton 1890
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
partNmean

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marineg
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: amphibiousg
Diet: carnivoref
Diet 2: omnivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2012-04-17 11:14:42
Modified: 2012-04-16 20:14:42
Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Nowak 1991, Lillegraven 1979, Hendy et al. 2009, Gingerich 2003

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Gelasian to the top of the Holocene or 2.58800 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 1.806 Ma

Collections (29 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene3.6 - 0.781United Kingdom (England) Enhydra reevei (166097)
Gelasian2.588 - 1.806United Kingdom (England) Lutra reevei (85254)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781USA (Alaska) Enhydra sp. (81828)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Oregon) Enhydra sp. (59062)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Oregon) Enhydra sp. (20276)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (California) Enhydra sp. (20421 20551)
Ionian0.774 - 0.129USA (California) Enhydra sp. (183506)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129USA (California) Enhydra lutris (20639 92438)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (California) Enhydra lutris (81921 84880 84901 84903) Enhydra sp. (84900) Enhydra sp., Enhydra macrodonta (84881)
Rancholabrean (glacial)0.3 - 0.012USA (California) Enhydra lutris (20624)
Rancholabrean - Holocene0.3 - 0.0USA (California) Enhydra lutris (84904)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Enhydra lutris (190889)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Enhydra sp. (20646)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Russian Federation Enhydra lutris (168594)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0USA (Alaska) Enhydra lutris (70586 161613 175943 175944 175945 175946 175947 236014)