Hello, I send you some information about a recent publicacion in fossil sirenians.



A new dugong species (Sirenia, Dugongidae) from the Eocene of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula)

A new stem dugongid species, Prototherium ausetanum sp. nov. (Dugongidae, Halitheriinae),is described based on a cranium from the middle Eocene of Mas Vilageliu (Tona, NE IberianPeninsula). The new species displays a combination of features that enables its distinction from other halitheriines, including Prototherium veronense (type species of the genus),Prototherium? intermedium (which likely belongs to a different genus), and Prototherium?montserratense (here considered a nomen dubium), as well as Eotheroides spp. In overallmorphology (e.g., dolichocephaly) the new species more closely resembles species previously included in Prototherium.


More info in:

Balaguer, J. & Alba, D.M. (in press). A new dugong species (Sirenia, Dugongidae) from the Eocene of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula) Comptes Rendus Palevol. Doi: 10.1016/j.crpv.2015.10.002

Jordi Balaguer Bruguera
Biologist and science popularizer
exponensbiology@gmail.com

exponensBiology