Biology:Desmatophocidae

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Short description: Family of mammals

Desmatophocidae
Temporal range: Early to Late Miocene
Skeleton of Allodesmus.jpg
Skeleton of Allodesmus sp. at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan
Atopotarus courseni LACM 1376.jpg
Holotype skeleton of Atopotarus courseni at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipedia
Superfamily: Otarioidea
Family: Desmatophocidae
Genera

Allodesmus
Atopotarus
Desmatophoca
Eodesmus

Desmatophocidae is an extinct family of pinnipeds closely related to the eared seals and walruses.[1] These animals were the first group of large-bodied pinnipeds to evolve, first appearing in the Early Miocene, with no direct modern descendants.[2] Desmatophocids have only been found to live in the North Pacific, with fossils being found in Baja California, California , Oregon, Washington (state) , and Japan .[3]

The group is generally known for having large orbits, bulbous cheek teeth, and forelimbs similar to extant eared seals.[2]

Genera

References

Wikidata ☰ Q2887172 entry