The order sirenia has long been fascinating to me, the main herbivorous marine mammals that have survived throughout the Cenozoic. The one that interests me the most (even inspiring my ATB name Sirenia) is, unfortunately, no longer living, the Steller’s Sea Cow. These giant sirenians lived around Commander Island in the Bering sea, being hunted by locals.
Classification: Manatees & Dugong
Manatee, adult and calf (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
3 (2 votes)
Whales typically dominate the discussion of fully aquatic mammals, though Sirenians should be acknowledged for making the transition around the same time. As oppose to ungulates, these creatures are related to proboscids and hyraxes. Amongst the extant species, there are 3 that belong to the manatee genus (Trichechus).
Manatee (Sealife by CollectA)
4 (5 votes)
With a name like Sirenia, you would think I would have gotten to this point sooner, and before anyone else, but I got here at last, a review of a sirenian. These docile aquatic animals are related to Afrotherians, making this another group of mammals that became fully aquatic and large, alongside the whales.
Dugong (Sealife by CollectA)
4 (8 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The only purely herbivorous marine mammal, the dugong (Dugong dugon) forms the order Sirenia along with the three species of manatee. It is believed to have been the inspiration for the legend of mermaids, although I reckon the sailors who sighted a dugong back in those days had to have been either extremely lonely or extremely inebriated to mistake its visage for that of an alluring woman.
Steller’s Sea Cow (Extinct by Club Earth)
3.3 (3 votes)
The gluttony of humanity has had catastrophic effect on the flora and fauna of the world, resulting in destruction and extinction. The example here is a clear exhibition of this: the Steller’s Sea Cow, a sirenian colossus that once lived in the Bering straits, it was wiped out by Europeans within 27 years of it’s discovery, being easy to catch and full of tender meat.
Eternal Lost Breeds, Extinct animal (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
5 (3 votes)
Despite the progress we have made as a species, there is one fact we cannot change: extinction is forever. As a result of our hubris, many spectacular species have been wiped from the face of the earth. Takara have created quite an exquisite set, showing a selection of the species that have been lost of the centuries, each with a stand stating scientific names and year of extinction.