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Manatees (/ ˈ m æ n ə t iː z /, family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows.There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), and the West ...
Steller's sea cow was the largest known sirenian to have lived, and could reach lengths of 9 metres (30 ft) [41] and weight of 8 to 10 tonnes (8.8 to 11.0 short tons). [44] A dugong's brain weighs a maximum of 300 grams (11 ounces), about 0.1% of the animal's body weight. [ 33 ]
The earliest known sea cows, of the families †Prorastomidae and †Protosirenidae, were both confined to the Eocene, and were pig-sized, four-legged, amphibious creatures. [19] The first members of Dugongidae appeared by the middle Eocene. [20] At this point, sea cows were fully aquatic. [19] Pinnipeds split from other caniforms 50 mya during ...
Sea cows are shallow divers with large lungs. They have heavy skeletons to help them stay submerged; the bones are pachyostotic (swollen) and osteosclerotic (dense), especially the ribs which are often found as fossils. Eocene sirenians, like Mesozoic mammals but in contrast to other Cenozoic ones, have five instead of four premolars, giving ...
Afrotheria (/ æ f r oʊ ˈ θ ɪər i ə / from Latin Afro-"of Africa" + theria "wild beast") is a superorder of placental mammals, the living members of which belong to groups that are either currently living in Africa or of African origin: golden moles, elephant shrews (also known as sengis), otter shrews, tenrecs, aardvarks, hyraxes, elephants, sea cows, and several extinct clades.
The West Indian manatee is the largest living member of the sirenians (order Sirenia), a group of large aquatic mammals that includes the dugong, other manatees, and the extinct Steller's sea cow. Manatees are herbivores , have developed vocal communication abilities, and are covered in highly sensitive whiskers (called vibrissae ) that are ...
Attacks on humans are very rare, as cougar prey recognition is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey. [14] Attacks on people, livestock, and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation.
Many animals on this second table are at least somewhat altered from wild-type animals due to their extensive interactions with humans, albeit not to the point that they are regarded as distinct forms (therefore, no separate wild ancestors are noted) or would be unable to survive if reintroduced to the wild.