Biology:Ungava seal
| Ungava seal | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Clade: | Pinnipedia |
| Family: | Phocidae |
| Genus: | Phoca |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | P. v. mellonae
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Phoca vitulina mellonae Doutt, 1942[3]
| |
The Ungava seal (Phoca vitulina mellonae) is a subspecies of Harbor seal, endemic to a small series of freshwater lakes in the Ungava Peninsula, located in northern Quebec. It is noted for being one of the few examples of freshwater seals. It was thought that fewer than 100 individuals remained in 2020.[4]: 40 The Ungava seal is currently classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered.[1]
Evolution
The Ungava seal is a subspecies of the Harbor seal. Although very little is known about them due to limited studies, it is hypothesized that they entered their habitat using the Tyrrell sea anywhere between 3000 and 8000 years ago, where they then became trapped inside the freshwater lakes as the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated. [5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harvey, J. (2016). Phoca vitulina ssp. mellonae. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T17018A66991348.en. e.T17018A66991348. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17018/66991348. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ↑ NatureServe (6 January 2023). "Phoca vitulina mellonae". Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104529/Phoca_vitulina_mellonae.
- ↑ "Phoca vitulina mellonae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=622049.
- ↑ Enns, Amie; Kraus, Dan; Hebb, Andrea (4 June 2020). "Ours to Save: The distribution, status & conservation needs of Canada's endemic species.". NatureServe Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada. https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/documents/nat/Ours-to-Save_NCC_NatureServe_Jun4_2020.pdf.
- ↑ "Vous avez dit : « phoques d’eau douce »?" (in fr). https://www.sepaq.com/parcs-quebec/blogue/article.dot?id=947320ab-de50-45f3-b40f-9ddbf47151bd.
Wikidata ☰ Q104841186 entry
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