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The recently extinct Steller's sea cow was the largest known sirenian to have lived, reaching lengths of 10 metres (33 feet) and weights of 5 to 10 tonnes (5.5 to 11.0 short tons). [2] Sirenians have a large, fusiform body which reduces drag through the water and heavy bones that act as ballast to counteract the buoyancy of their blubber. They ...
- Identifying A Sirenian
- Key Characteristics
- Classification
Sirenians are large, slow-moving, aquatic mammals that live in shallow marine and freshwater habitats in tropical and subtropical regions. Their preferred habitats include swamps, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal waters. Sirenians are well-adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, with an elongated, torpedo-shaped body, two paddle-like front flipper...
The key characteristics of sirenians include: 1. large aquatic herbivores 2. streamlined body, no dorsal fin 3. two front flippers and no hind legs 4. flat, paddle-shaped tail 5. continuous tooth growth and replacement of molars
Sirenians are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals > Chordates > Vertebrates > Tetrapods > Amniotes> Mammals > Sirenians Sirenians are divided into the following taxonomic groups: 1. Dugongs (Dugongidae) - There is one species of dugong alive today. The dugong (Dugong dugong) inhabits coastal marine waters of the western Pac...
Steller’s sea cow was the largest sirenian and one of the few sirenians to occupy cold water. The term sea cow is now sometimes used to refer collectively to sirenians. Natural history. The order Sirenia was named after the Sirens of Greek mythology, and sirenians are believed to be the basis for the mermaid myth. Modern sirenians have two ...
Steller's sea cows represent the largest known members of Sirenia>; growing up to 10 meters and weighing up to 11,000 kg; whereas the smallest known members, little sea cows, weighed approximately 150 kg, extant sirenians often weigh between 400 to 1,500 kg. Steller's sea cows were also unique due to their lack of teeth; instead, they had keratinized masticatory plates on the inside of their ...
The sirenians range in length from about 9.8 ft (3 m) for the Amazonian manatee to as much as 32.8 ft (10 m) for the extinct Steller's sea cow. Maximum body mass ranges from about 992 lb (450 kg) for the Amazonian manatee to more than 9,920 lb (4,500 kg) for the sea cow. All sirenians are nearly hairless.
The Sirenia, commonly referred to as sea-cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. The Sirenia currently comprise two distinct families: Dugongidae (the dugong and the now extinct Steller's sea cow) and Trichechidae (manatees, namely the Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and ...
The mammalian order Sirenia, or sea cows, includes two extant families, the Trichechidae (manatees) and the Dugongidae (the dugong). The name Sirenia comes from the mermaids of Greek mythology that were known as sirens. Sirenians have a fossil record that extends from the early Eocene (50 Ma) to the present (Figure 5.1).
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