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The Protosirenidae (Eocene sirenians) and Prorastomidae (terrestrial sirenians) families are extinct. Sirenians are classified in the clade Paenungulata, alongside the elephants and the hyraxes, and evolved in the Eocene 50 million years ago (mya).
- 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 is an extinct sirenian described by Georg Wilhelm Steller in 1741. They were believed to have grown to 8 to 9 m long. It was found in the Bering Sea, between Russia and Alaska. In 1768, they were extinct, 27 years after its discovery.
There are many extinct sirenian species. Four subfamilies of Dugongidae are now extinct, including species such as Steller's sea cows ( Hydrodamalis gigas ), which likely went extinct around 1768 due to over-hunting.
Steller's sea cow is one of the most famous recently extinct species, on account of both it's huge size (said to grow to 7m) and the speed with which it was driven to extinction (c.27 years, 1741-1768).
The extinct Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), formerly of the Bering Sea, also belonged to the dugong family, but all were killed off by humans less than 30 years after they were first scientifically described in 1741. Steller’s sea cow was the largest sirenian and one of the few sirenians to occupy cold water.
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Are there any extinct sirenian species?
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There are four living species of sea cows in the world. The extinct stellar’s sea cow was the largest Sirenia species in history. As mammals, sea cows can only raise one child per reproductive cycle.
