Paleoparadoxia

Taxobox
name = "Paleoparadoxia"

---

image_caption = "Palaeoparadoxia tabatai"
image_width = 260px
fossil_range = Miocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Desmostylia
familia = Paleoparadoxiidae
genus = "Paleoparadoxia"
genus_authority = Tokunaga, 1939
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "P. tabatai" Tokunaga, 1939
* "P. repenningi" Domning and Barnes, 2007
type_species = "Paleoparadoxia tabatai"

"Paleoparadoxia" [Literal translation "Ancient Puzzle"] is a genus of large, herbivorous marine mammals that inhabited the northern Pacific coastal region during the Miocene epoch (20 to 10 million years ago). It ranged from the waters of Japan (Tsuyama and Yanagawa), to Alaska to the north, and down to Baja California, Mexico. It is believed there are only two complete fossil skeletons in the world, one at Fukushima Museum in Fukushima Prefecture Japan and one at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Northern California. "Paleoparadoxia" is thought to have fed primarily on seaweeds and sea grasses. The jaws and the angle of the teeth resemble a backhoe bucket. Its bulky body was well adapted for swimming and underwater foraging, but not for extended deep-sea living or deep diving. Like the modern-day seal, "Paleoparadoxia" probably came on shore for breeding and basking in the sun.

Notes

External links

* [http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/paleo.html Stanford's SLAC Paleoparadoxia] , identified by Charles Repenning (much thanks to Adele Panofsky, Dr. Wolfgang Panofsky's wife for her assembly of the bones of the Paleoparadoxia found and uncovered at SLAC)
* [http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/paleo/discovery.html More uncovering at SLAC, and Adele Panofsky]
* [http://www.kagakukan.sendai-c.ed.jp/exhibition/pareo2001/top-e.htm Picture of Paleoparadoxia]
* [http://www.angellis.net/Web/DFG-ung/Paleoparadoxia.htm Another picture]
* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayReference&reference_no=25324&is_real_user=0 Reclassification of SLAC specimen as P. repenningi]
* [http://today.slac.stanford.edu/a/2007/12-03.htm SLAC coverage of the renaming]