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Rytiodus Temporal range: Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Sirenia
Family:	Dugongidae
Subfamily:	Dugonginae
Genus:	†Rytiodus
Species
R. capgrandi (type species) Lartet, 1886 R. heali Domning, Sorbi, 2011

Rytiodus (meaning Rytina, "wrinkled", an old name for Steller's sea cow) is an extinct genus of sirenian, whose fossils have been discovered in France, Europe and Libya.

Description

With a length of 6 m (20 ft), Rytiodus was about twice the size as modern sirenians, surpassed only by Steller's sea cow, which was up to 8–9 m (26–30 ft) long. Like its closest modern relatives, the dugongs, Rytiodus had a pair of flippers, a streamlined body and a tail fin. Its flattened snout allowed it to feed in shallow coastal waters. Rytiodus had short tusks which it may have used to extract food from the sand.

See also

• Evolution of sirenians

References

1. Dixon, Dougal (2008). World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. New York: Lorenz Books. pp. 475. ISBN 978-0-7548-1730-7.
2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 229. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.

• Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life., Simon & Schuster.
• David Norman. (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. Pg.347-348, Welcome Books.

v t e Sirenian genera
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Afrotheria Clade: Paenungulata
Sirenia	†Eosiren †Eotheroides †Prototherium †Sobrarbesiren †Prorastomidae Pezosiren Prorastomus †Protosirenidae Ashokia Libysiren Protosiren Trichechidae †Miosireninae Anomotherium Miosiren Trichechinae †Potamosiren †Ribodon Trichechus Dugongidae †Anisosiren †Caribosiren †Halitherium †Indosiren †Lentiarenium †Kaupitherium †Metaxytherium †Paralitherium †Priscosiren †Prohalicore †Stegosiren †Sirenavus †Hydrodamalinae Dusisiren Hydrodamalis Dugonginae †Bharatisiren †Callistosiren †Crenatosiren †Corystosiren †Culebratherium †Dioplotherium †Domningia Dugong †Italosiren †Kutchisiren †Nanosiren †Norosiren †Rytiodus †Xenosiren

This article about prehistoric Afrotheria is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Dugongidae
• Miocene sirenians
• Miocene mammals of Europe
• Miocene mammals of Africa
• Prehistoric placental genera
• Fossil taxa described in 1886
• Prehistoric afrotherian stubs