Carnivore Evolution & Systematics

Presentation on theme: "Carnivore Evolution & Systematics"— Presentation transcript:

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

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