Lutra euxena is an extinct species of otter that was endemic to Malta during the middle to late Pleistocene. The species likely went extinct because of human activity.[1][2]
| Lutra euxena Temporal range: 2.588 to 0.012 Ma
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|---|---|
Extinct (0.012 Ma)
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Lutra |
| Species: | †L. euxena
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| Binomial name | |
| †Lutra euxena Willemsen, 2006
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| Synonyms | |
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†Nesolutra euxena Bate 1935 | |
Evolutionary history edit
The species lived in Malta between 2.588 and 0.012 Ma.,[3] having a relatively equal size to its mainland counterpart.[2] It along with its Mediterranean counterparts colonized islands by crossing sea channels that were up to 30 km across. Over time, these otters adopted a more land-based lifestyle, eating small mammals on islands alongside fish and shellfish.[1] It was discovered by John Bate.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b Alcover, Josep Antoni; McMinn, Miquel (1994). "Predators of Vertebrates on Islands". BioScience. 44 (1): 12–18. doi:10.2307/1312401. ISSN 0006-3568. JSTOR 1312401.
- ^ a b Lyras, George A.; van der Geer, Alexandra A. E.; Rook, Lorenzo (2010). "Body size of insular carnivores: evidence from the fossil record". Journal of Biogeography. 37 (6): 1007–1021. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02312.x. ISSN 0305-0270. JSTOR 40731389. S2CID 53700369.
- ^ "Nesolutra euxena". Palaeobiology Database. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ "Lutra euxena - The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database". recentlyextinctspecies.com. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
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