Satherium is an extinct genus of otters that lived in North America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Two species are known, Satherium piscinarium and Satherium ingens.

Satherium
Temporal range: Pliocene - Early Pleistocene
4.9–1.6 Ma
[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Subfamily: Lutrinae
Genus: Satherium
Gazin, 1934[2]
Type species
Satherium piscinarium
(Leidy, 1873)
Other Species

Satherium ingens Gazin, 1934

S. piscinarium was originally classified as a species of Lutra. The giant otter of South America is considered the closest living relative of this genus.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Alroy, John, PaleoDB collection 20308, March 26, 1995, De Soto Shell Pit, Caloosahatchee Formation, DeSoto County, Florida
  2. ^ "Satherium". Fossilworks.
  3. ^ Prevosti, Francisco J.; Ferrero, Brenda S. (2008). "A Pleistocene giant river otter from Argentina: remarks on the fossil record and phylogenetic analysis". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (4): 1171–1181. Bibcode:2008JVPal..28.1171P. doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1171. hdl:11336/80190.