Last Chance to Sea Cow

Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Wed, 18 Jan 95 21:41 EST

In keeping with our ongoing off-topic discussion of extinct animals:

Is anyone familiar with the Stellar's Sea Cow? I found a reference to
it under dugong. The dugong is similar to a manatee, but it has a while-
like tail, wheras the manatee has a paddle-shaped tail.

What shape tail did the Stellar's Sea Cow have? Where did it live? How
did it go extinct?

Does this group of mammals have a fossil record? Were there giant species
alive in the Pleistocene?

What are these guys related to? I suspect NOT the seals.

OB cp: These animals are probably formidable pests on cp populations,
particularly Utricularia. Fortunately I have never had a manatee
infestation in my aquatic Utricularia pails.

Michael