Lontra weiri

Lontra weiri (Weir's otter) is a fossil species in the carnivoran family Mustelidae from the Hagerman Fossil Beds of Idaho. It shared its habitat with Satherium piscinarium, a probable ancestor of the giant otter of South America.^[1] It is named in honor of musician Bob Weir, and is the oldest known member of its genus.^[2] Prior to its discovery, Lontra was thought to have evolved from Lutra licenti, which dates from the Pleistocene of East Asia.^[3]

Weir's otter Temporal range: Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Mustelidae
Genus:	Lontra
Species:	†L. weiri
Binomial name
†Lontra weiri Prassack (2016)

Description

Weir's otter was intermediate in form between Lutra (Old World river otters) and modern members of its genus. It was a small otter, similar in size to the modern marine otter (Lontra felina),^[2] which has a head-body length of 33 to 44 inches and can weigh up to 12 pounds.^[4] It is known from most of a right mandible and a left humerus.^[2]