Lutra castiglionis

Lutra castiglionis Temporal range: Mid Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Genus:	Lutra
Species:	†L. castiglionis
Binomial name
†Lutra castiglionis Pereira & Salotti, 2000
Synonyms
Cyrnolutra castiglionis

Lutra castiglionis, the Castiglione otter or Corsican otter, is an extinct species of otter that was endemic to Corsica during the Pleistocene.

Taxonomy

Lutra castiglionis was described in 2000, originally under a new genus, Cyrnolutra.^[1] In 2006, it was transferred into the genus Lutra.^[2] A possible ancestor of this species is Lutra simplicidens, known from mainland Europe.

Description

The Castiglione otter was probably very well adapted to a riverine aquatic way of life. Remains show a flattening of the sacrum, indicating it had a much stronger tail than most other otters, which would allow it to propel itself more efficiently in aquatic environments.^[2]

Remains of the Castiglione otter are known from Castiglione Cave in Corsica. These fossils have been dated to the Mid Pleistocene, approximately 157,500 BP (+22,200/-17,300).

References

1. Pereira, E.; Salotti, M. (2000). "Cyrnolutra castiglionis, une nouvelle forme de loutre (Mustelidae, Lutrinae), dans un dépôt du Pléistocène moyen " Castiglione 3CG "(Oletta, Haute-Corse)". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA. 331 (1): 45–52. Bibcode:2000CRASE.331...45P. doi:10.1016/S1251-8050(00)00212-3.
2. Willemsen, Gerard F. (2006). "Megalenhydris and its relationship to Lutra Reconsidered". Hellenic Journal of Geosciences. 41: 83–87.