1. Carnivore Evolution & Systematics
MARE 390
Dr. Turner

2. } Order Carnivora Pinnipeds 5 Families of Marine Mammals
Mustelidae – Sea otter
Ursidae – Polar bear
Phocidae – Seals (true seal)
Otariidae – Sea lions (eared seals)
Odobenidae - Walrus
Pinnipeds }

3. Order Carnivora
Alternative hypotheses for relationships among carnivores

4. Order Carnivora
Most debate centers around walrus

5. Order Carnivora
Relationship among carnivores

6. Family Mustelidae
Enhydra lutris
Lutra lutra
Morhpological
Molecular

7. Family Ursidae

8. } Suborder Pinnipedia “feather-footed”
34-36 species – (25% of marine mammals)
19 Phocids
14-16 Otariids
1 Odobenid }

9. Do the Evolution Adapted to an aquatic existence:
1. Large infraorbital foramen
2. Shortened & robust humerus/femur
3. Flattened ulna & radius, tibia & fibula
4. Elongate digits (I-hand) (I&V-foot)
5. Heterodont progressing toward homodont

10. Spent more time on land than extant pinnipeds
Early Pinnipeds
Pinnipedimorph -
Fore & hind flippers
modified for
swimming
Spent more time on land than extant pinnipeds

11. Early Pinnipeds
Odobenids – evolved in the North Pacific during early Miocene – 18 mya
Otariids – evolved in eastern North Pacific during middle Miocene – mya
Phocids – evolved in North Pacific during late Miocene – 18 mya

12. Continents in Early Miocene
(20mya)
1- Early pinnipeds
4- Early pinnipeds

13. Continents in Middle Miocene
(12mya)
1- Early phocids, 2 – Monachines & Odobenids, Phocines

14. Early Pinnipeds
Monachine seals – evolved in the North Atlantic (Mediterranean); 1st dispersal to Caribbean, then Hawaii
Phocine seals – evolved in North Atlantic; many in arctic
Ribbon seals evolved in North Pacific, later separated by sister taxa (harp) in the North Atlantic

15. Meet the Pinnipeds
Bear
Pinnipedimorph
Otariid
Odobenid
Phocid

16. Meet the Pinnipeds
Otariid
Odobenid
Phocid

17. Meet the Pinnipeds
Otariid
Phocid
Odobenid

18. Family Otariidae “eared seals” – external ear flaps (pinnae)
California sea lion (O)
Hawaiian monk seal (P)

19. Family Otariidae
Turn hindflippers forward to walk on land

20. Family Otariidae Otariids smaller than most phocids
Steller’s seal lion (O)
Northern elephant seal (P)

21. Family Otariidae Shallower divers than phocids
California seal lion (O)
Harbor seal (P)

22. Family Otariidae Divided into 2 subfamilies:
Otariinae (sea lions) & Arctocephalinae (fur seals)
Otariinae (5 genera) Eumetopias, Neophoca, Otaria, Zalophus, Phocarctos
Arctocephalinae (2 genera) Arctocephalus, Callorhinus

23. Family Otariidae
Extinct Genera
Fur Seals
Sea Lions

24. Family Otariidae Subfamily Otariinae – Sea Lions - Pelage sparse
Subfamily Arctocephalinae – Fur seals
- Dense pelage

25. Subfamily Otariinae Eumetopias jubatus - Steller’s sea lion
Neophoca cinerea
- Australian sealion

26. Subfamily Otariinae Otaris byronis - Southern sea lion
Otaria flavescens – South American sea lion
Phocartos hookeri
- New Zealand sea lion
Zalophus californianus
- California sea lion

27. Subfamily Arctocephalinae
Arctocephalus australis
- South American fur seal
Arctocephalus forsteri
- New Zealand fur seal
Arctocephalus galapagoensis
- Galapagos fur seal

28. Subfamily Arctocephalinae
Arctocephalus gazella
- Antarctic fur seal
Arctocephalus philippi
- Juan Fernandez fur seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
- Cape-Australian fur seal
two subspecies:
Cape fur seal
- A. pusillus pusillus
Australian fur seal
- A. pusillus doriferus

29. Subfamily Arctocephalinae
Arctocephalus townsendi
- Guadelupe fur seal
Arctocephalus tropicalis
- Subantarctic fur seal
Callorhinus ursinus
- Northern fur seal

30. Family Odobenidae 1 species – Odobenus rosmarus - 2 subspecies*
Odobenus r. rosmarus – N. Atlantic
Odobenus r. divergens – N. Pacific
(Odobenus r. laptevi – Laptev Sea)

31. Odobenid Classification
Although tusks (elongate canines) are the most distinguishing trait – evolved from a single line
Otariid
Odobenid

32. Odobenid Classification
Archaic walruses had enlarged canines and narrow premolars – indicative of piscivory rather than specialized mollusk diet today
- more similar to Otariids & Phocids

33. Odobenid Classification

34. Family Phocidae Divided into 2 subfamilies:
Monachinae (monk, elephant, Antarctic)
Phocinae (remaining N. Hemisphere seals)
Monachinae (6 genera) Monachus, Mirounga, Lobodon, Ommatophoca, Hydrurga, Leptonychotes
Phocinae (6 genera) Phoca, Histriophoca, Halichoerus, Erignathus, Pagophilus, Cystophora

35. Family Phocidae

36. Subfamily Monachinae Lobodon carcinophagus - crabeater seal
Ommatophoca rossii
- Ross seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
- leopard seal
Leptonychotes weddellii
- Weddell seal

37. Subfamily Monachinae Monachus monachus - Mediterranean monk seal
Monachus schauinslandi
- Hawaiian monk seal
Monachus tropicalis
- Caribbean (West Indian) monk seal

38. Subfamily Monachinae Mirounga leonina - southern elephant seal
Mirounga angustirostris
- northern elephant seal

39. Subfamily Phocinae Phoca vitulina - harbor (common) seal Phoca largha
- largha (spotted) seal
Phoca hispida
- ringed seal
Phoca sibirica
- Baikal seal
Phoca caspica
- Caspian seal

40. Subfamily Phocinae Histriophoca fasciata - ribbon seal
Halichoerus grypus
- grey (gray) seal
Erignathus barbatus
- bearded seal
Pagophilus groenlandicus
- harp seal
Cystophora cristata
-hooded seal

41. Where’s Walrus
The study of pinniped evolutionary relationships has identified a group of fossil pinnipeds – Desmatophocids

42. I am the Eggman
Desmatophocids have recently been determined to be the common ancestors of phocids
Contradicts previous works which recognized Desmatophocids as otariid pinnipeds

43. GOO GOO GOO JOOB
“I haven't been this slim since High School” – Homer Simpson
Most morphological data support a phocid & walrus alliance
Molecular data consistently supports uniting otariids & walrus