description Thalassoleon mexicanus Overview
Thalassoleon mexicanus is an extinct species of otariid, the pinniped group that includes sea lions and fur seals. It lived during the Miocene and is known from fossil material first described from the Baja California peninsula. The species is distinguished by primitive features of its skull compared with later sea lions. It is studied as part of the fossil history and early evolution of otariids, not as a living seal population.
help Thalassoleon mexicanus FAQ
What kind of animal was Thalassoleon mexicanus?
Thalassoleon mexicanus was an extinct otariid, the pinniped group that includes sea lions and fur seals. Fossil material from the Baja California peninsula places it among ancient marine carnivores rather than modern true seals.
When did Thalassoleon mexicanus live?
The species lived during the Miocene. The Miocene lasted from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago, although the supplied description does not assign this species to one exact Miocene age.
Where were fossils of Thalassoleon mexicanus found?
It was first described from fossil material associated with Baja California in Mexico. That location is important because the peninsula preserves a record of ancient marine mammals from the northeastern Pacific.
Was Thalassoleon mexicanus a sea lion or a fur seal?
It belonged to Otariidae, the family containing both sea lions and fur seals. Its primitive features show that it was an extinct relative of those animals, not a living species that can be assigned to a modern genus by appearance alone.
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