Pinniped

Pinniped
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pinnipeds
Temporal range: Oligocene Holocene, 240Ma
Pre

O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N

Clockwise from top: New Zealand fur
seal(Arctocephalus forsteri), Southern elephant
seal(Mirounga leonina), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias
jubatus), Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) and Grey
seal(Halichoerus grypus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Infraorder: Arctoidea
(unranked): Pinnipedimorpha
Clade: Pinnipedia
Illiger, 1811
[1]

Subgroups
Family Enaliarctidae
Superfamily Otarioidea
Family Odobenidae (walruses)
Family Otariidae (fur seals and sea
lions)
Superfamily Phocoidea
Family Phocidae (true seals)
Family Desmatophocidae

Range map
Pinnipeds (/pnpdz/), colloquially known as seals,
[a]
are a widely distributed and
diverse clade of fin-footed, semiaquaticmarine mammals. They comprise
the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walrus), Otariidae (the
eared seals: sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (the earless, or true seals). There
are 33 extant species of pinnipeds, and more than 50 extinct species have been
described from fossils. While seals were historically thought to have descended from two
ancestral lines, molecular evidence supports them as a monophyletic lineage
(descended from one ancestral line). Pinnipeds belong to the order Carnivora and their
closest living relatives are bears and musteloids (weasels, raccoons andskunks).
Seals range in size from the 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and 45 kg (99 lb) Baikal seal to the 5 m (16 ft)
and 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) southern elephant seal, which is also the largest
carnivoran.
[b]
Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism. They have streamlined bodies
and four limbs that are modified into flippers. Though not as fast in the water as dolphins,
seals are more flexible and agile. Otariids use their front limbs primarily to propel
themselves through the water, while phocids and walruses use their hind limbs. Otariids
and walruses have hind limbs that can be pulled under the body and used as legs on
land. By comparison, terrestrial locomotion by phocids is more cumbersome. Otariids
have visible external ears, while phocids and walruses lack these. Pinnipeds have well-
developed sensestheir eyesight and hearing are adapted for both air and water, and
they have an advanced tactile system in their whiskers or vibrissae. Some species are
well adapted for diving to great depths. They have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the
skin to keep warm in the cold water, and, other than the walrus, all species are covered
in fur.
Although pinnipeds are widespread, most species prefer the colder waters of the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They spend most of their lives in the water, but
come ashore to mate, give birth, molt or escape from predators, like sharks andkiller
whales. They feed largely on fish and marine invertebrates; but a few, like the leopard
seal, feed on large vertebrates, such as penguins and other seals. Walruses are
specialized for feeding on bottom-dwelling mollusks. Male pinnipeds typically mate with
more than one female (polygyny), although the degree of polygyny varies with the
species. The males of land-breeding species tend to mate with a greater number of
females than those of ice- or water-breeding species. Male pinniped strategies
for reproductive success vary between defending females, defending territories that
attract females and performingritual displays or lek mating. Pups are typically born in the
spring and summer months and females bear almost all the responsibility for raising
them. Mothers of some species fast and nurse their young for a relatively short period of
time while others take foraging trips at sea between nursing bouts. Walruses are known
to nurse their young while at sea. Seals produce a number of vocalizations, notably the
barks of California sea lions, the gong-like calls of walruses and the complex songs
ofWeddell seals.
The meat, blubber and fur coats of pinnipeds have traditionally been used by indigenous
peoples of the Arctic. Seals have been depicted in various cultures worldwide. They are
commonly kept in captivity and are even sometimes trained to perform tricks and tasks.
Once relentlessly hunted by commercial industries for their products, seals are now
protected by international law. The Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal have
become extinct in the past century, while the Mediterranean monk seal and Hawaiian
monk seal are ranked Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature. Besides hunting, pinnipeds also face threats from accidental trapping, marine
pollution, and conflicts with local people.
Contents
[hide]
1 Taxonomy
o 1.1 Evolutionary history
2 Anatomy and physiology
o 2.1 Locomotion
o 2.2 Senses
o 2.3 Diving adaptations
o 2.4 Thermoregulation
o 2.5 Sleep
3 Distribution and habitat
4 Behavior and life history
o 4.1 Foraging and predation
o 4.2 Reproductive behavior
o 4.3 Birth and parenting
o 4.4 Communication
o 4.5 Intelligence
5 Human relations
o 5.1 Cultural depictions
o 5.2 In captivity
o 5.3 Conservation and management issues
6 Notes
7 References
o 7.1 Bibliography
8 External links

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