Enhydra fossil map
Where fossils of Enhydra have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 3.6 million years ago to the present (Piacenzian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Mustelidae |
| Named by | Fleming 1822 |
| Fossil records | 72 occurrences at 32 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Canada |
| Rock formations | txn:41086, Palos Verdes Sand, Timms Point Silt, Norwich Crag, Elk River, San Pedro |
About Enhydra
Enhydra is a genus of mustelid that contains the sea otter and two extinct relatives. It is the only extant genus of the bunodont otters group, referring to otters with non-blade carnassials with rounded cusps.
Sea otters probably diverged from other otters during the Pliocene, approximately 5 mya. They probably arose from the closely related Enhydritherium, a bunodont otter endemic to North America during the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs.
Enhydra reevei, the oldest known species, has its origins in the Atlantic, suggesting this may have been where sea otters originated. Fossil evidence indicates the Enhydra lineage became isolated in the North Pacific approximately 2 million years ago, giving rise to the now-extinct Enhydra macrodonta and the modern sea otter.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Enhydra (revision 1368609022), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q5832825.
