Metaxytherium subapenninum

Metaxytherium subapenninum Temporal range: Pliocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Fossil of Metaxytherium subapenninum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Sirenia
Family:	Dugongidae
Genus:	Metaxytherium
Species:	M. subapenninum
Binomial name
Metaxytherium subapenninum (Bruno, 1839) [1]
Synonyms[2]
List Cheirotherium brochii de Blainville 1844 Felsinotherium foresti Capellini 1872 Felsinotherium gastaldi de Zigno 1878 Felsinotherium gervaisii Capellini 1872 Felsinotherium subalpinum Isel 1910 Halianassa brochii de Blainville 1844 Halitherium brochii de Blainville 1844 Halitherium forestii Capellini 1872 Manatus brochii de Blainville 1844 Metaxytherium brochii de Blainville 1844 Metaxytherium forestii Capellini 1872 Metaxytherium gastaldi de Zigno 1878 Metaxytherium gervaisi Capellini 1872

Metaxytherium subapenninum is an extinct species of dugongs belonging to the family Dugongidae.

Fossil record

Fossil skull of Metaxytherium subapenninum

Metaxytherium subapenninum lived in the early and late Pliocene of Italy and Spain (age range: 3.6 to 2.588 million years ago).^[2] It is the only species of sirenians that lived in the northwestern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea in the Pliocene. It disappeared from the Mediterranean around 3 million years ago because of the progressive climate cooling. Fossils of these dugongs have been found, from the second half of the nineteenth century, in Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria and Tuscany.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Description

This relict species represents the last stage of evolution of Metaxytherium, showing an increase in body size and in tusk size and a rostral reinforcement responding to a long-term climatic cooling.^[8] These aquatic herbivores lived in warm coastal waters and inland waterways, feeding on seagrass.^[2]

Drawing of the skeleton of Metaxytherium subapenninum

See also

• Evolution of sirenians

References

1. Bruno, G. D. 1839. Illustrazione di un nuovo cetaceo fossile. Memorie dell'Accademia di Scienze Torino 1:143–160.
2. Paleobiology Database
3. GAMPS La sirena Plioenica
4. Paleontologia: trovato fossile sirenio di 5 milioni anni fa
5. La Nazione - Ha 5 milioni di anni il fossile trovato nel grossetano
6. Quando inMaremma nuotavano le mucche di mare
7. Il Tirreno - Scoperto lo scheletro di una "sirena" di cinque milioni di anni fa
8. Silvia Sorbi, Daryl P. Domning, Stefano Claudio Vaiani and Giovanni Bianucci Metaxytherium subapenninum (Bruno, 1839) (Mammalia, Dugongidae), the Latest Sirenian of the Mediterranean Basin Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 32(3):686-707. 2012

Bibliography

• G. A. Bruno. 1839. Illustrazione di un nuovo Cetaceo fossile. Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Torino, Cl. Sci. Mat. ser. 2, 1:143-160
• G. Pilleri. 1988. The Pliocene Sirenia of the Po Basin in Contributions to the paleontology of some Tethyan Cetacea and Sirenia (Mammalia), Brain Anatomy Institute, University of Berne, Ostermundigen, Switzerland.
• Manatees and Dugongs of the World by Jeff Ripple
• Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J. G.M. Thewissen
• Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta, James L. Sumich, and Kit M. Kovacs
• Marine Mammal Biology: An Evolutionary Approach by A. Rus Hoelzel