Evolution[edit]

Fossil Pliophoca skull

The earliest known fossil earless seal is Noriphoca gaudini from the late Oligocene or

earliest Miocene (Aquitanian) of Italy.[1] Other early fossil phocids date from the mid-
Miocene, 15 million years ago in the north Atlantic.[1][3] Until recently, many researchers
believed that phocids evolved separately from otariids and odobenids; and that they
evolved from otter-like animals, such as Potamotherium, which inhabited European
freshwater lakes. Recent evidence strongly suggests a monophyletic origin for all
pinnipeds from a single ancestor, possibly Enaliarctos, most closely related to
the mustelids and bears.[4]

Monk seals and elephant seals were previously believed to have first entered the Pacific
through the open straits between North and South America,[5] with the Antarctic true seals
either using the same route or travelled down the west coast of Africa.[6] It is now thought
that the monk seals, elephant seals, and Antarctic seals all evolved in the southern
hemisphere, and likely dispersed to their current distributions from more southern
latitudes.[7]

Taxonomy[edit]

Pinnipedia Phocidae Phocinae  

Bearded seal
       
   
Hooded seal
   
Phocini  
   
Cladogram showing relationships among the
phocids, combining several phylogenetic
analyses. [8]

In the 1980s and 1990s, morphological phylogenetic analysis of the phocids led to new

conclusions about the interrelatedness of the various genera. More recent molecular
phylogenetic analyses have confirmed the monophyly of the two phocid subfamilies
(Phocinae and Monachinae).[9][10][11][5] The Monachinae (known as the "southern" seals), is
composed of three tribes; the Lobodontini, Miroungini, and Monachini. The
four Antarctic genera Hydrurga, Leptonychotes, Lobodon, and Ommatophoca are part of
the tribe Lobodontini. Tribe Miroungini is composed of the elephant seals. The Monk
seals (Monachus and Neomonachus) are all part of the tribe Monachini.[12] Likewise,
subfamily Phocinae (the "northern" seals) also includes three tribes; Erignathini
(Erignathus), Cystophorini (Cystophora), and Phocini (all other phocines). More recently,
five species have been split off from Phoca, forming three additional genera.[13]

Alternatively the three monachine tribes have been evaluated to familiar status, which
elephant seals and the Antarctic seals are more closely related to the phocines.[14]

Extant genera