Dusisiren is an extinct genus of dugong related to the Steller's sea cow that lived in the North Pacific during the Neogene. Paleobiology Dusisiren is a sirenian exemplar of the evolutionary theory of punctuated equilibrium. It evolved from a mangrove-eating ancestor to adapt to cold climates in the North Pacific by developing the capability to feed on kelp beds out on the open coast. The incipient modifications to the cervicals suggest that it was capable of maneuvering and feeding in high-energy environments of surf-swept coasts with deep, cold water. Species There are four recognized species of Dusisiren: Dusisiren jordani (Kellogg, 1925) (type) Dusisiren reinharti Domning, 1978 Dusisiren dewana Takahashi, Domning, and Saito, 1986 Dusisiren takasatensis Kobayashi, Horikawa, & Miyazaki, 1995 See also Evolution of sirenians Related genus Hydrodamalis References Miocene sirenians Pliocene sirenians Cenozoic mammals of Asia Cenozoic mammals of North America Prehistoric placental genera Fossil taxa described in 1978