PBDB Taxon

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Lutra (otter)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae

Taxonomy

Lutra was named by Brisson (1762) [conserved in ICZN Opinion 1894; see also ICZN opinion 1998 based on Wilson and Reeder 1993, all North American records of this genus are actually Lontra]. It is extant.

It was reranked as Mustela (Lutra) by Kerr (1792).

It was assigned to Mustela by Kerr (1792); to Mustelina by Gray (1825); to Lutrini by Willemsen (1992), Baskin (1998) and Pickford (2007); to Mustelidae by Brisson (1762), Leidy (1873), Kurten (1968), Carroll (1988), Vidal (1991), Geraads (1997), Werdelin and Peigne (2010) and Koretsky and Domning (2014); and to Lutrinae by Hay (1902), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Marmi et al. (2004), Cherin (2017) and Law et al. (2018).

Synonyms

Amblonyx was named by Rafinesque (1832). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by de Ferran et al. (2022).

It was assigned to Lutrinae by Marmi et al. (2004); and to Aonychini by Pickford (2007).
Lutris was named by Dumeril (1805). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Lutrix was named by Rafinesque (1815). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Lataxina was named by Gervais (1855). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Barangia was named by Gray (1865). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Hydrogale was named by Gray (1865). It is extant.

It was replaced with Hydrictis by Pocock (1921); it was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Latax was named by Gray (1865). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Nutria was named by Gray (1865). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Lutronectes was named by Gray (1867). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).
Anahyster was named by Murray (1860). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Aonyx by Allen (1919).
Aonyx was named by Lesson (1827). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by de Ferran et al. (2022).

It was assigned to Aonychini by Pickford (2007); to Mustelidae by Kurten (1968), Carroll (1988) and Werdelin and Peigne (2010); and to Lutrinae by Marmi et al. (2004) and Law et al. (2018).
Nesolutra was named by Bate (1935). It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Lutra by Willemsen (1992).

It was assigned to Lutrinae by Malatesta (1977).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1762	Lutra Brisson
1792	Mustela (Lutra) Kerr
1805	Lutris Dumeril
1815	Lutrix Rafinesque
1825	Lutra Gray p. 339
1827	Aonyx Lesson p. 157
1832	Amblonyx Rafinesque
1855	Lataxina Gervais
1860	Anahyster Murray p. 157
1865	Barangia Gray
1865	Hydrogale Gray
1865	Latax Gray
1865	Nutria Gray
1867	Lutronectes Gray
1873	Lutra Leidy p. 316
1902	Lutra Hay p. 768
1935	Nesolutra Bate
1968	Aonyx Kurten p. 105
1968	Lutra Kurten p. 105
1977	Nesolutra Malatesta
1980	Lutra Kurten and Anderson p. 158
1988	Aonyx Carroll
1988	Lutra Carroll
1991	Lutra Vidal p. 6
1992	Lutra Willemsen p. 12
1997	Lutra Geraads p. 153
1998	Lutra Baskin p. 161
2004	Amblonyx Marmi et al. p. 492
2004	Aonyx Marmi et al. p. 492
2004	Lutra Marmi et al. p. 492
2007	Amblonyx Pickford p. 122 figs. Fig. 23
2007	Aonyx Pickford p. 122 figs. Fig. 23
2007	Lutra Pickford p. 122 figs. Fig. 23
2010	Aonyx Werdelin and Peigne p. 619
2010	Lutra Werdelin and Peigne p. 620
2014	Lutra Koretsky and Domning p. 227
2017	Lutra Cherin p. 435
2018	Aonyx Law et al.
2018	Lutra Law et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes

Rank	Name	Author
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Ferae	()
—	Carnivoramorpha	Wyss and Flynn 1993
—	Carnivoraformes	Flynn et al.
order	Carnivora
suborder	Caniformia	Kretzoi 1943
infraorder	Canoidea	(Simpson 1931)
superfamily	Arctoidea	Flower 1869
—	Mustelida
family	Mustelidae	Fischer 1817
subfamily	Lutrinae	Baird 1857
genus	Lutra

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. Lutra Brisson 1762 [otter]

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Subg. †Lutra (Satherium) Gazin 1934

†Lutra affinis Gervais 1859

†Lutra brachygnathus Schlosser 1903

†Lutra bravardi Pomel 1843

†Lutra bressana Deperet 1893

Lutra capensis Schinz 1821 [African clawless otter]

Invalid names: Aonyx delalandi Lesson 1827 [synonym], Lutra inunguis Cuvier 1823 [synonym]

†Lutra castiglionis Pereira and Salotti 2000

Lutra cinerea Illiger 1815 [Oriental small-clawed otter]

Invalid names: Lutra leptonyx Horsfield 1823 [synonym]

†Lutra fatimazohrae Geraads 1997

†Lutra franconica Quenstedt 1885

†Lutra hessica Lydekker 1890

†Lutra licenti Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau 1930

Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 [European otter]

†Lutra lybica Stromer 1914

†Lutra nippon Imaizumi and Yoshiyuki 1989 [Japanese otter]

†Lutra palaeoleptonyx Falconer 1868

†Lutra perspicillata Geoffroy 1826

†Lutra simplicidens Thenius 1965

†Lutra sumatrana Gray 1865

Invalid names: Amblonyx Rafinesque 1832 [synonym], Aonyx Lesson 1827 [synonym], Barangia Gray 1865 [synonym], Hydrogale Gray 1865 [synonym], Latax Gray 1865 [synonym], Lataxina Gervais 1855 [synonym], Lutris Dumeril 1805 [synonym], Lutrix Rafinesque 1815 [synonym], Lutronectes Gray 1867 [synonym], Nesolutra Bate 1935 [synonym], Nutria Gray 1865 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

part	N	mean

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialsubc

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

amphibiousg

Diet:

carnivoref

Diet 2:

omnivoref

Reproduction:

viviparoussubc

Created:

2012-04-17 11:13:59

Modified:

2012-04-16 20:13:59

Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Carroll 1988, Gingerich 2003, Hendy et al. 2009, Lillegraven 1979, Nowak 1991, Ji et al. 2002

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the MP 28 to the top of the Holocene or 28.40000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 23.03 Ma

Collections (82 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
MP 28	28.4 - 23.03	France (Quercy)	Necromanis franconica (36712)
MN 4	16.9 - 15.97	Spain	Necromanis franconica (232128)
Tortonian	11.62 - 7.246	China (Yunnan)	Lutra sp. (11798)
Turolian	8.7 - 5.333	Greece (Central Macedonia)	Lutra affinis (32189)
Messinian - Piacenzian	7.246 - 2.588	South Africa (Cape)	Aonyx sp. (59167)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	China (Tianjin)	Lutra brachygnathus (231233)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	Russian Federation (Rostovskaya Oblast')	Lutra sp. (39409)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	Ethiopia (Afar)	Aonyx capensis (70907)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	Ethiopia	Lutra sp. (21755)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.588	France	Lutra affinis (68798)
Zanclean - Calabrian	5.333 - 0.774	Kenya	Aonyx sp. (21399 21506)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.588	Egypt (Al Buhayrah)	Lutra sp. (42119)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.588	Morocco	Lutra fatimazohrae (32052) Lutra fatimazorhrae (32054)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.588	Egypt	Lutra libycus (22592)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene	3.6 - 0.781	China (Hebei)	Lutra licenti (231023)
MN 16	3.2 - 2.588	France	Aonyx bravardi (47100)
Villanyian	3.2 - 2.588	Hungary (Barany)	Lutra sp. (35371)
Villanyian	3.2 - 2.588	Hungary (Fejer)	Lutra bravardi (35374)
Villanyian	3.2 - 2.588	Slovakia	Lutra bravardi (41026)
MN 17	2.588 - 1.806	France (Rhone-Alpes)	Lutra bravardi (47150)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Italy (Tuscany)	Lutra simplicidens (44146)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Italy	Lutra sp. (189026)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Turkey	Lutra sp. (39314)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Georgia	Lutra sp. (56733)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Hungary (Barany)	Lutra sp. (35457)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	South Africa	Aonyx capensis (21824)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	United Kingdom (England)	Lutra simplicidens (58420)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.781	Germany (Thüringen)	Lutra lutra (45068)
Gelasian - Calabrian	2.588 - 0.774	Kenya	Aonyx sp., Lutra sp. (21377)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Belgium	Lutra sp. (34127)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Italy (Malta)	Lutra euxena (92899)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Germany (Thuringia)	Lutra simplicidens (22728)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Israel	Lutra sp. (37024 37026)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	South Africa	Aonyx capensis (21825 21828 21916 21929 21931 21956)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	France	Lutra bressana (92900)
Pleistocene	2.588 - 0.0117	Georgia	Lutra sp. (40398)
Pleistocene - Holocene	2.588 - 0.0	Congo-Kinshasa	Aonyx sp. (22098)
Pleistocene - Holocene	2.588 - 0.0	South Africa	Aonyx capensis (21951)
Pleistocene - Holocene	2.588 - 0.0	Zambia	Aonyx capensis (21924)
Calabrian	1.8 - 0.774	Tanzania	Aonyx sp. (22041 22064)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Thailand (Chaiyaphum)	Lutra lutra (237787)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	China (Guangxi)	Lutra sp. (38649 235739)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Germany (Sachsen-Anhalt)	Lutra simplicidens (36206)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Greece	Lutra simplicidens (187637)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Austria (Niederoesterreich)	Nesolutra sp., Lutra simplicidens (50258)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	United Kingdom (Norfolk)	Lutra simplicidens (49816)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Malta	Lutra euxena (215280)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz)	Lutra sp., Lutra simplicidens (50196)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	France (Corse)	Cyrnolutra castiglionis (69062)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	United Kingdom	Lutra sp. (92901)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Netherlands	Aonyx antiqua (109704)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Italy (Verona)	Lutra lutra (43653)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.0117	China (Guangdong)	Lutra lutra (13293)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Philippines	Amblonyx cinereus (194835 194836)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	China (Hubei)	Lutra lutra (92787)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)	0.129 - 0.0117	South Africa	Aonyx capensis (115167)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Norway (Sunnmore)	Lutra lutra (125317)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Rwanda	Lutra sp. (129899)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Congo-Kinshasa	Aonyx sp. (22066)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Ecuador (Santa Elena)	Lutra sp. (185519)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	South Africa	Aonyx capensis (21918 21946 96973)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (Scotland)	Lutra lutra (191169)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	South Africa (Orange Free)	Aonyx capensis (21943 21944)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Russian Federation	Lutra lutra (171637)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	South Africa (N. Transraal)	Aonyx capensis (21693)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Vietnam	Aonyx cinerea (32904)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Netherlands	Lutra lutra (55533)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom	Lutra lutra (122112)