Siamogale melilutra
| Siamogale melilutra Temporal range: Late Miocene, | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | †Siamogale |
| Species: | †S. melilutra |
| Binomial name | |
| †Siamogale melilutra Wang, Grohé, Su, White, Ji, Kelley, You & Yang, 2017 | |
Siamogale melilutra is an extinct species of giant otter from the late Miocene from Yunnan province, China.
Ranking among the largest fossil otters, Siamogale represents a feeding ecomorphology with no living analog. Its giant size and high mandibular strength confer shell-crushing capability matched only by other extinct molluscivores, such as the bear-like marine stem-pinniped Kolponomos.