Atopotarus
| Atopotarus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Fossil cast of the holotype skeleton of Atopotarus courseni at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Parvorder: | Pinnipedia |
| Family: | †Desmatophocidae |
| Genus: | †Atopotarus Downs, 1956 |
| Species | |
| |
Atopotarus is an extinct genus of pinniped from the middle Miocene of Los Angeles County, California. It is a monotypic genus, with the only known species being Atopotarus courseni, or commonly referred to as 'Coursen's Strange Seal;' the species name 'courseni' is attributed to the Coursen family that discovered the fossil in 1952 on their Palos Verdes residence; this species belongs to the extinct family Desmatophocidae, an early lineage of seal-like pinnipeds from the North Pacific.
The holotype, LACM 1376, was discovered in the rocks of the Altamira Shale of the Monterey Formation. It is currently on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM).