Information AboutDesmostylia |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT DESMOSTYLIA | |
| prehistoric placental mammals | |
| oligocene mammals | |
| miocene mammals | |
| miocene extinctions | |
| marine mammals | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
The Desmostylia are an Extinct order of Marine Mammal s comprising four Genera , known from late Oligocene and Miocene Fossil records. Dental and skeletal form suggests desmostylians were Amphibious Herbivore s dependent on Littoral (seashore) habitats. Their closest living relatives are the Proboscidea ( Elephant s) and Sirenia ( Manatee s), so they belong to the cohort Afrotheria . Desmostylians grew to 1.8 Metre s in length and are thought to have weighed more than 200 Kg . The Type Species '' Desmostylus '' was first described by American Paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1888 . ''Desmostylus'' derives from the Greek words ''desmos'', meaning "bond" and ''stylos'', meaning "column" or "pillar." EXTERNAL LINKS
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