At 01:02 2006-11-08, you wrote:
>Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 03:53:33 -0500
>From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: sea otters
>
>Dear all,
>
>I have just had an email from an old friend of mine who asks=2E=2E=2E
>
>"Did sea otters (Enhydra lutra) occur in the British Isles at any time=3F"=
> =20
>
>Despite this being her entire, shallow motivation for getting back in
>contact with me, can anyone help=3F=3F Please copy any replies to Heidi,
>H=2EM=2ETillin@liverpool=2Eac=2Euk=20
>
>Many thanks and with all good wishes,
>
>Naomi
No, not Enhydra lutra, but maybe just possibly sea otters in a wider sense.
Enhydra is usually thought to derive from the Neogene genus Enhydriodon
which had a tethyan distribution (there are scattered records from the
Miocene-Pliocene of India, Spain, Italy, California and possibly South
Africa).
Aonyx reevei Newton, which is based on a single tooth from the Norwich Crag
is sometimes assigned to Enhydriodon (e g by Kurtén & Andersson 1980). If
this is correct then sea otters may actually have occurred in Britain once
since the distribution of Enhydriodon certainly suggests that it was at
least a partly marine form.
Tommy Tyrberg
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