Image of Neomonachus Slater & Helgen

Description:

Figure 6.Ventral views of palates of a Monachus monachus b Neomonachus schauinslandi, and c Neomonachus tropicalis. The tooth row of Monachus is more crowded, likely as a result of the shorter rostrum, and this results in a more obliquely oriented set of post-canine teeth and the lack of a diastema between the upper canine and the first premolar. In Neomonachus, there is a distinct diastema between C1 and P1, and the post-canine teeth are arranged more linearly. The upper incisor arcade of Monachus is slightly parabolic due to the posterior placement of the lateral incisors, and the anterior premaxilla appears slightly curved. In Neomonachus, the incisor arcade is linear and the anterior premaxilla is straight.