Hadrokirus

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Hadrokirus is an extinct genus of true seals that lived about 6 million years ago along the coasts of Peru and North Carolina. The best-known species, Hadrokirus martini, was found in the Pisco Formation together with other marine animals like crabs, sharks, coastal birds, whales, and aquatic sloths.

Its very sturdy teeth gave the genus its name: hadros means “stout” in Greek and kiru means “tooth” in Quechua. This heavy dentition suggests Hadrokirus martini fed on hard-shelled prey such as crustaceans and small bivalves, similar to a living sea otter. The closest living seals to Hadrokirus are Antarctic seals. A second species, Hadrokirus novotini, was described in 2022.