Nanosiren garciae
Encyclopedia
Nanosiren garciae is an extinct sirenian mammal, a pigmy, tusked sea cow of the family Dugongidae
, genus Nanosiren, living in warm shallow seas approximately 11.610—3.6 Ma during the Miocene
, existing approximately . It is evolutionarily related to modern species of manatees and dugongs.
(hooved) mammals early in the Paleogene
. Currently, there are four existing sirenian species - three manatee species and one dugong species. All are gentle herbivores inhabiting coasts and rivers. Though completely aquatic, they are only distantly related to cetaceans and pinnipeds. Their closest living relatives are modern elephants.
Nanosiren garciae, an extinct sirenian, was classified and named in 2008 based on fossils uncovered from the Bone Valley
Formation near Tampa, Florida
. It is the smallest known post-Eocene
sirenian, with body lengths of about 2 meters and weighing about 150 kg. Newborn nanosirens may have weighed only 6.8 kg. Its small size gave rise to the naming of its genus as Nanosiren, from the Greek for a "dwarf siren". These mammals were of shallow draft and possessed small, conical tusks, suggesting they foraged in shallower waters than their dugong relatives. Nanosirens likely fed on smaller seagrasses near shorelines. They thrived approximately 5 million years ago during the Hemphillian
age.
The species was described and named by Daryl P. Domning of Howard University and Orangel A. Aguilera of the Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela in 2008. The name was chosen to commemorate famed Florida paleontologist Frank A. Garcia, who uncovered many fossil samples of the extinct mammal from the Leisey Shell Pit in Central Florida.
Dugongidae
Dugongidae is a family in the order of Sirenia.The family has one surviving species, the Dugong , one recently extinct species, the Steller's Sea Cow , and a number of extinct genera known from the fossil record....
, genus Nanosiren, living in warm shallow seas approximately 11.610—3.6 Ma during the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, existing approximately . It is evolutionarily related to modern species of manatees and dugongs.
Taxonomy
Nanosiren garciae was named by Domning and Aguilera (2008). Its name was attributed to Domning, not Domning and Aguilera. Its type is Nanosiren garciae. It was assigned to Dugonginae by Domning and Aguilera (2008).Description
Sirenians, also called sea cows, are an almost extinct group of aquatic, herbivorous mammals. Sirenians diverged from related ungulateUngulate
Ungulates are several groups of mammals, most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. They make up several orders of mammals, of which six to eight survive...
(hooved) mammals early in the Paleogene
Paleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
. Currently, there are four existing sirenian species - three manatee species and one dugong species. All are gentle herbivores inhabiting coasts and rivers. Though completely aquatic, they are only distantly related to cetaceans and pinnipeds. Their closest living relatives are modern elephants.
Nanosiren garciae, an extinct sirenian, was classified and named in 2008 based on fossils uncovered from the Bone Valley
Bone Valley
The Bone Valley is a region of central Florida, encompassing portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties, in which phosphate is mined for use in the production of agricultural fertilizer...
Formation near Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. It is the smallest known post-Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
sirenian, with body lengths of about 2 meters and weighing about 150 kg. Newborn nanosirens may have weighed only 6.8 kg. Its small size gave rise to the naming of its genus as Nanosiren, from the Greek for a "dwarf siren". These mammals were of shallow draft and possessed small, conical tusks, suggesting they foraged in shallower waters than their dugong relatives. Nanosirens likely fed on smaller seagrasses near shorelines. They thrived approximately 5 million years ago during the Hemphillian
Hemphillian
The Hemphillian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 10,300,000 to 4,900,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Tortonian epoch of the Late...
age.
The species was described and named by Daryl P. Domning of Howard University and Orangel A. Aguilera of the Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda, Venezuela in 2008. The name was chosen to commemorate famed Florida paleontologist Frank A. Garcia, who uncovered many fossil samples of the extinct mammal from the Leisey Shell Pit in Central Florida.