Desmostylia
The
Desmostylia are an
extinct order of
marine mammals comprising four
genera, known from late
Oligocene and
Miocene fossil records. Dental and skeletal form suggests desmostylians were
amphibious herbivores dependent on
littoral (seashore) habitats. Their closest living relatives are members of the
Perissodactyla and Tethytheres, which includes
Proboscidea (
elephants) and
Sirenia (
manatees).
Desmostylians grew to 1.8
metres in length and are thought to have weighed more than 200
kg. The type species
Desmostylus was first described by American
paleontologist Othniel Marsh in
1888.
Desmostylus derives from the
Greek words
desmos, meaning "bond" and
stylos, meaning "column" or "pillar."
References
- Introduction to Desmostylia
- Desmostylus (in Dutch)