Valenictus
Encyclopedia
Valenictus is an extinct genus
of Odobenidae
from the Pliocene
of California
.
, but lacked all teeth both in the lower and upper jaw
except for the two tusks.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of Odobenidae
Odobenidae
Odobenidae is a family of Pinnipeds. The only living species is walrus.In the past, however, the group was much more diverse, and includes more than ten fossil genera.- Taxonomy :All genera, except Odobenus, are extinct.*Prototaria...
from the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Description
Valenictus is related to the modern-day walrusWalrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
, but lacked all teeth both in the lower and upper jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
except for the two tusks.
Sources
- Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald R. Prothero and Carl Buell
- Marine Mammal Biology: An Evolutionary Approach by A. Rus Hoelzel
- Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta, James L. Sumich, and Kit M. Kovacs
- Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J. G.M. Thewissen
- Classification of Mammals by Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell
- Neptune's Ark: From Ichthyosaurs to Orcas by David Rains Wallace
- Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Volume 2, Small Mammals, Xenarthrans, and Marine Mammals by Christine M. Janis, Gregg F. Gunnell, and Mark D. Uhen