Phoca
Seal (Phoca vitulina)
The Real earless seals (Phoca ) are a genus of true seals, and include two species, including the well-known harbor seal (Phoca vitulina).
System
The Real earless seals include on the current state of two ways:
- Largha Seal (Phoca largha )
- Seal (Phoca vitulina)
In the past, the genus contained numerous other species that have now been merged into different genera. Thus, the harp seal is now assigned as Pagophilus groenlandicus the monotypic genus Pagophilus and the ringed seal ( Pusa hispida ) and the two freshwater seals Baikal Seal ( Pusa sibirica ) and Caspian Seal ( Pusa caspica ) of the genus Pusa be assigned.
According to the cladistic analyzes of Bininda - Emonds and Russell the entire genus was paraphyletic with respect to the bearded seal ( Erignathus barbatus), to Palo Väinöla and possibly also in terms of the gray seal ( Halichoerus grypus ). The largha Seal might as basal species likely to be the sister species of all other representatives and the monophyly of the two freshwater species, with the ringed seal is placed on the molecular level in question.
Documents
Further Reading
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
- Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell: Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, 2000 ISBN 0231110138
- Nigel Bonner: Seals and Sea Lions of the World. Facts on File, 1994 ISBN 0816029555