Paralutra garganensis sp. nov. (Mustelidae, Lutrinae) : a new otter from the Miocene of Gargano, Italy

A new lutrine species, Paralutra garganensis, is described from the Miocene of the Gargano area, Italy. The material consists of a maxillary fragment with P4 and M1 and a calcaneum. There is a clear resemblance with P. jaegeri (Fraas), but the talon of the P4 is larger in the Gargano species. Also, the latter species was larger. It is concluded, that P. jaegeri was ancestral to P. garganensis, and that the latter probably fed on shellfish to a greater extent than the former.