Pinniped Evolution

Abstract

The pinnipeds are a group of fin-footed carnivores, the fur seals and sea lions, walruses, and seal. They are one of three major clades of extant marine mammals, having a fossil record going back at least to the late Oligocene (27–25Ma—millions of years before present). The earliest pinnipeds were aquatic carnivores with well-developed paddle-shaped limbs and feet. A North Pacific origin for pinnipeds has been hypothesized; the group subsequently diversified throughout the world’s oceans.