All pinnipeds breath air and some are capable of very deep and prolonged dives. Pinnipeds fur seals and sea lions, walruses and seals are one of three major clades of modern marine mammals, having a fossil record going back at least to the late oligocene. Seals, sea lions, and walruses what are seals, seal lions. Pinnipeds seals, sea lions and walruses make up the second most numerous group of marine mammals behind whales, with 35 species found throughout the worlds oceans and in several freshwater lakes. They are often portrayed balancing beach balls on their noses and clapping with their flippers. Walruses live mostly in shallow waters above the continental shelves, spending significant amounts of their lives on the sea ice. A minority view suggests a diphyletic origin with true seals being related to the mustelids otters and ferrets. Seals, sea lions and walruses by marianne riedman, university of california press, 1990.
They can bring all four flippers under their bodies and walk. Observational and experimental studies of seals, sea lions, and walruses reveal elements of vocal development, contextual control, plasticity in expression and learning, and even imitation of complex sounds. Pinnipeds are a group of animals that have four flippers. There are 33 species of seals, sea lions, fur seals and walrus that populate the worlds oceans and lakes. The name pinniped comes from the latin pinna and pedis meaning featherfooted referring to the paddlelike fore and hind limbs of seals, sea lions. Specifically, we assess how sexual selection influences the evolution of primary and secondary sexual traits among pinnipeds seals, sea lions, and walruses. Pinnipeds are predators, which means they eat other animals. They have a streamlined body and they can all dive to depths of at least 330ft 100m. Within the carnivora, the pinnipeds are usually classified into three families. Brucellosis in marine mammals iowa state university. Most authors support a hypothesis of a monophyletic origin of the pinnipeds from a caniform carnivore. Goals of the seals, sea lions, and walruses unit students will explore the natural history of seals, sea lions, and walruses and recognize that humans are an interconnected part of these animals ecosystems. There are 35 species of pinnipeds, all of which are assigned to three families of the mammalian order carnivora.
The northern elephant seal, for example, is capable of diving to depths over 1,500 feet and can remain under the surface of the water for 2 hours. Fur seals, which tend to have thicker coats and longer flippers than sea lions, include the guadalupe fur seal, the northern fur seal and the galapagos fur seal. The 33 living species of pinniped are divided into 3 families. Pinnipeds including elephant seals, harbor seals, sea lions, and fur seals are amphibious mammals, necessitating a wide range of adaptations to live both in the ocean and on land. Seals, sea lions, and walruses the word pinniped means fin or flipperfooted and refers to the marine mammals that have front and rear flippers. Antibodies to brucella found in polar bears are thought to result from exposure to.
Parallel loss of sweet and umami taste receptor function. Pinnipeds live only in rich marine environments and a few inland or tropical freshwater systems. Seals, sea lions, and walruses the oldest definitive pinniped fossils date from approximately 30. Sea lions and seals can you tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal. In alaska we have a number of seal species including harbor seals, bearded seals, ribbon seals, ringed seals, and spotted seals. Crown pinnipeds comprise the otariidae fur seals and sea lions, odobenidae walruses, and phocidae seals, with paraphyletic. Describes the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of seals, sea lions, and walruses increased concentration after reading the book seals, sea lions, and walruses. Scientists group seals, sea lions, fur seals, and walruses together in the scientific order called pinnipedia. The otariidae differ from the phocidae in several ways but perhaps the most noticeable ones are that otariid seals have external ear flaps. Seals, sea lions, and walruses are popular pinnipeds in the media. Trites, marine mammal research unit, fisheries centre, university of british columbia, vancouver, british columbia abstract the proximate role played by seals and sea lions is obvious. Arctic, north america, north atlantic, north pacific. The diversification of modern pinnipeds, fur seals and sea lions, walruses and seals beginning 19 ma resulted from favorable climatic conditions and increasing food availability.
One additional species of phocid caribbean monk seal and one subspecies of. See more ideas about sea, ocean themes and lions live. Like sea lions, walruses have long front flippers that they can use to walk on land and hind flippers that rotate. True seals, on the other hand, are in the family phocidae. Order carnivora pinnipeds and other marine carnivores. They comprise the extant families odobenidae whose only living member is the walrus, otariidae the eared seals. Pinnipeds were descended from either bears ursids or otterlike forms mustelids approximately 30. Pinnipeds seals, sea lions, walruses and their fossil relatives. As mammals, pinnipeds are warmblooded, breathe air with lungs, have hair, bear live young, and females nurse their young, providing milk via their mammary. Recent molecular analysis reveals that the closest living relatives of the pinnipeds are the bears, which was already suspected for some time. The word pinniped means wingfooted, and it refers to the flipperlike limbs of these animals. The position of extinct desmatophocidae is debated. Box 1 phylogenetic relationships among the pinnipeds. The pinnipeds are a group of 33 species of aquatic finfooted mammals composing three families.
Seals, sea lions, and walruses 48 what are seals, sea. In the scientific community, there are many debates concerning the ancestry of eared and true seals. Jun 21, 2017 eared seals, or otariids, include sea lions and fur seals. Adult walrus are characterised by prominent tusks and whiskers, and their considerable bulk. As with otariids, it can turn its rear flippers forward and move on all fours. Walruses are neither a seal nor sea lion, but share characteristics with each. Seals, sea lions, and walruses paperback june 25, 1991 by marianne riedman author. In this fascinating and engaging book, students will learn the distinguishing characteristics of seals, sea lions, and walruses. There are 33 species of pinnipeds meaning wing or finfooted which include 18 true seals, 14 eared seals sea lions and fur seals, and 1 walrus. It has been proposed by some scientists that the laptev sea population be given subspecific status as the laptev walrus o. Each species is adapted to live in its particular habitat. Conserving pinnipeds in pacific ocean parks in response to. The phocidae true seal lineage has been isolated from other pinnipeds for at least 24 million years. Otariids make use of their fore flippers when propelling themselves through water.
Seals, sea lions, and walruses 48 what are seals, sea lions. Eared seals, or otariids, include sea lions and fur seals. Antibodies to brucella found in polar bears are thought to result from exposure to infected seals and other prey. Leveled book p seals, sea lions, s and walruses eals a. The pinnipeds now fall within the suborder caniformia and comprise the families odobenidae walruses, otariidae sea lions, eared seals, and fur seals, and phocidae true seals. Seals, sea lions, and walruses pinnipeds dk find out. California sea lions belong to the family otariidae which means little ears. Seals, sea lions, and walruses harbor seals california sea lions the word pinniped means finfooted, and refers to the marine mammals that have front and hind flippers.
Pinniped, suborder pinnipedia, any of a group of 34 species of aquatic finfooted mammals comprising seals, sea lions, and the walrus. Pinnipeds are carnivores that have adapted to an amphibious marine existence. They forage at sea but most come ashore or onto ice at some time of the year to mate, give birth, suckle their young, or to molt. This nonfiction resource about seals, sea lions, and walruses is full of information, photos, illustrations, riddles, and fun facts. Vocal learning in seals, sea lions, and walruses sciencedirect. The otariidae sea lion and fur seal and odobenidae walrus. Their name comes from a greek word meaning finfooted. The seals, sea lions, and walruses teachers guide for grades 48 was developed at seaworld to help you teach your studentsin an active, handson wayabout pinnipeds and the ecology of the ocean. Crown pinnipeds comprise the otariidae fur seals and sea lions, odobenidae. Seals, sea lions, and walruses paperback june 25, 1991 by marianne riedman author visit amazons marianne riedman page. The evolutionary origin of the pinnipeds seals, sea lions, and walruses is still uncertain. Using recently developed comparative methods, we demonstrate that sexual selection promotes rapid divergence in body mass, sexual size dimorphism ssd, and genital morphology. The walruss body shape shares features with both sea lions eared seals. In our crazy internet world, attention is focused on millions of people in different directions at the same time, because we perform a number of tasks every day.
The smallest fur seal, the galapagos fur seal, lives in hot weather close to the equator. Fur seal is actually a misnomer, as these pinnipeds are closely related to sea lions. Some species can dive much deeper and remain underwater for over an. Use of spectral analysis to test hypotheses on the origin of. Request pdf the origin and evolutionary biology of pinnipeds. Three families of the order carnivora are highlighted and shown in reference to the canidae canine and ursidae bear outgroups. Pinnipeds are members of the mammalian order carnivora and include three monophyletic lineages, otariidae fur seals and sea lions, odobenidae walruses, and phocidae true or earless seals. Seals, sea lions, and walruses level p 5 6 pinnipeds are marine, or ocean, mammals. The seals, sea lions, and walruses teachers guide for grades 48 was developed at seaworld to help you teach your studentsin an active, handson wayabout pinnipeds and the ecology of.
This guide is designed to inform individuals who work with animals about potential zoonoses diseases of animals transmissible to humans, personal hygiene,and other potential hazards associated with animal exposure. They will also read about the habitats, food sources, and threats to this appealing group of animals called pinnipeds. Pinnipeds from latin pinna, wing or fin, and ped, foot or finfooted mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals. The word pinniped means finfooted, and refers to the marine mammals that have front and hind flippers. Rookery a place where colonies of pinnipeds gather to mate and give birth. Predator an animal that hunts and eats other animals prey. We will try to group the items into categories covering particular topics. Seals and sea lions and walruses seals and sea lions. Ucsc biosafety information on zoonotic diseases species. Seals, sea lions, and walruses belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds, referring to their flippered feet. Seals, sea lions, and walrus alaska nature and science.
We here set out to test differing hypotheses about the origin of pinnipeds through identification and age estimation of pinniped marine invasions. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The pinnipeds provide a variety of clues to those interested in the vocal learning capabilities of nonhuman animals. Mammals are animals that breathe air, have fur, and have live babies that drink their mothers milk. The oldest definitive pinniped fossils date from approximately 30. Vocal learning in seals, sea lions, and walruses pinniped. The pinnipeds, which comprise seals, sea lions, and walruses, are a remarkable group of marine animals with unique adaptations to semiaquatic life. Objectives after completing the seaworld seals, sea lions, and walruses unit, the student will be able to 1. Eared seals have external ear flaps, large front flippers, and are agile on land. Introduction modern pinnipeds are aquatic members of the mammalian order carnivora and comprise three monophyletic families.
Deciphering the evolutionary signatures of pinnipeds using. The pinnipeds include 34 species and 48 subspecies. Sea lions and fur seals seals with thick fur that are more similar to sea lions than to true seals are lumped together in the family otariidae. Myoglobin a pigment in the muscles of pinnipeds that holds oxygen. Jul 14, 2003 both seals and sea lions are described in the taxonomic order pinnipedia, a grouping of carnivorous marine mammals that includes 20 genera and 31 species of seals, sea lions, and walruses. Crown pinnipeds comprise the otariidae fur seals and sea lions, odobenidae walruses, and phocidae seals, with paraphyletic enaliarctines falling outside the crown group. Pinnipeds, commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, finfooted, semiaquatic marine mammals. Seals, sea lions, and walruses powerpoint and activities. Seals true seals or earless seals have no external ear flaps. Seals, sea lions, fur seals, and walruses make up a group of sea mammals called pinnipeds. Both seals and sea lions are described in the taxonomic order pinnipedia, a grouping of carnivorous marine mammals that includes 20 genera and 31 species of seals, sea lions, and walruses. The phocidae true seal lineage has been isolated from other pinnipeds for at least 24 million. Wellknown sea lion species include the california sea lion and the steller or northern sea lion.
Seal sea lion wal rus sea lions are quick, graceful swimmers. Seals, sea lions, and walruses the oldest definitive pinniped fossils date from approximately. Pinnipedia was traditionally considered a suborder, but its current ranking is undetermined. Most of these animals live in the ocean but are able to come on land for long periods of time. Learning in seals, sea lions, and walruses reichmuth and casey 67 box 1 phylogenetic relationships among the pinnipeds. This section will give web links to interesting items relating to seals, sea lions, fur seals and walruses that have appeared in online news sites. Learn all about pinnipeds in this interactive ppt presentation. All pinnipeds have four flippersone pair in front foreflippers and one pair in back hind flippers, a thick layer of blubber, and sensitive whiskers called vibrissae. Vocal learning in seals, sea lions, and walruses reichmuth and casey 67. Ucsc biosafety information on zoonotic diseases species specific guide pinnipeds. Both seals and sea lions, together with the walrus, are pinnipeds, which means fin footed in latin. Walruses are in the family odobenidae, but their large tusks make them easy to tell apart from seals and sea lions. All pinnipeds have four flippersone pair in front foreflippers and one pair in back hind flippers, a thick. At the time, i thought that this reflected my love for wildlife, going to see animals so unlike humans yet known to have amazing intelligence and social lives.
This group includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. Seals, sea lions, and walruses live along the shorelines of the worlds continents, from antarctica to greenland. Here we consider the potential impacts of climate change on pinnipeds seals and sea lions that occur in some 18 national parks around the paci. Shaped like torpedoes, pinnipeds have wide torsos and narrower. But seals furry, generally stubby front feet thinly webbed flippers, actually, with a claw on each small toe seem petite in comparison to the mostly skincovered, elongated fore flippers that sea lions possess.
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