Rytiodus (meaning Rytina, "wrinkled", an old name for Steller's sea cow) is an extinct genus of sirenian, whose fossils have been discovered in France, Europe and Libya.

Description

With a length of 6 m (20 ft), Rytiodus was about twice the size as modern sirenians, surpassed only by Steller's sea cow, which was up to 8–9 m (26–30 ft) long. Like its closest modern relatives, the dugongs, Rytiodus had a pair of flippers, a streamlined body and a tail fin. Its flattened snout allowed it to feed in shallow coastal waters. Rytiodus had short tusks which it may have used to extract food from the sand.

See also

  • Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life., Simon & Schuster.
  • David Norman. (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. Pg.347-348, Welcome Books.