Potamotherium

Potamotherium
Temporal range: 23.03–11.1 Ma Aquitanian - Tortonian
P. valletoni skeleton
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Semantoridae
Genus: Potamotherium
Geoffroy, 1833
Species
  • P. valletoni (Geoffroy, 1833) (type)
  • P. miocenicum (Peters, 1868)

Potamotherium ('river beast') an extinct genus of caniform carnivoran from the Miocene epoch of France and Germany. It has historically been assigned to the family Mustelidae (otters, weasels, etc.), but more recent studies suggest that it represents a primitive relative of pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, etc.)