Nanodobenus

Nanodobenus Temporal range: Early Miocene, 15.97–7.246 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
The left mandibular fossil of N. arandai, including articulated teeth
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Clade:	Pinnipedia
Family:	Odobenidae
Genus:	†Nanodobenus Velez & Salinas-Marquez, 2018
Species:	†N. arandai
Binomial name
†Nanodobenus arandai Velez & Salinas-Marquez, 2018

Nanodobenus is an extinct genus of pinniped that lived approximately 15.97 to 7.246 mya^[1] during the Miocene in what is now Baja California Sur, Mexico. It belonged to the family Odobenidae, the only extant species of which is the walrus.

Discovery

N. arandai is known from a partially complete left mandible and a right calcaneum bone, discovered in the Torgugas Formation in Mexico.^[2]

Description

Nanodobenus were more similar in appearance to modern fur seals and sea lions than walruses. They lacked the long tusks of walruses, and were more slender and smaller than their modern relatives.

Despite the general increase in body size of odobenids from the Miocene to Pliocene, Nanodobenus were the smallest members of Odobenidae. Individuals were likely around 1.65 metres (5.4 ft) long, indicating the possibility that this genus occupied a different niche from contemporary odobenids.

Taxonomy

Nanodobenus is a relatively basal species of odobenid.

References

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Genera of pinnipeds and their stem-allies

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Suborder: Caniformia
• Infraorder: Arctoidea

Pan-Pinnipedia
†Amphicynodontidae Allocyon Amphicticeps Amphicynodon Drassonax Kolponomos Pachycynodon Parictis Wangictis †Semantoridae Necromites Potamotherium Puijila Semantor Pinnipedimorpha †Enaliarctos Pinnipediformes †Pacificotaria †Pinnarctidion †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocidae †Devinophoca Monachinae †Magnotherium Monachini †Afrophoca †Auroraphoca †Messiphoca Monachus Neomonachus †Eomonachus †Noriphoca †Palmidophoca †Pliophoca †Pontophoca †Pristiphoca †Terranectes Miroungini †Callophoca Mirounga Lobodontini †Acrophoca †Australophoca †Hadrokirus †Homiphoca Hydrurga Leptonychotes Lobodon Ommatophoca †Piscophoca †Properiptychus †Virginiaphoca Phocinae †Cryptophoca †Frisiphoca †Kawas †Leptophoca †Monachopsis †Monotherium †Phocanella †Prophoca †Sarmatonectes Erignathini Erignathus †Platyphoca Cystophorini Cystophora †Miophoca †Pachyphoca Phocini †Batavipusa †Gryphoca Halichoerus Histriophoca †Nanophoca Pagophilus Phoca †Planopusa †Praepusa Pusa Otarioidea see below↓

Otarioidea
†Desmatophocidae Allodesmus Atopotarus Desmatophoca Eodesmus Odobenidae †Archaeodobenus †Imagotaria †Kamtschatarctos †Nanodobenus †Neotherium †Osodobenus †Pelagiarctos †Pontolis †Proneotherium †Prototaria †Pseudotaria †Titanotaria Neodobenia †Dusignathinae Dusignathus Gomphotaria Odobeninae †Aivukus Odobenus †Ontocetus †Pliopedia †Protodobenus †Valenictus Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae Callorhinae Callorhinus †Pithanotaria Otariinae †Thalassoleon Zalophini Eumetopias †Oriensarctos †Proterozetes Zalophus Otariini Arctocephalus Arctophoca †Hydrarctos Neophoca Otaria Phocarctos

Lists
List of pinnipeds List of fossil pinnipedimorphs