Re: FISSIPEDS & PINNIPEDS

[ornstn@inforamp.net (Ronald Orenstein)]

>Cladistics be damned (???), these two terms are defunct however you like your
>organisms ranked. Pinnipeds are polyphyletic - phocoids ('true' seals) are
>related to mustelids while otaroids (fur seals, sealions and walrus) are
related
>to ursids. So the Pinnipedia is no more...

I suspect this is a case of premature burial; as Darren says, not everyone
agrees on this and the evidence is contradictory.  To quote Savage and Long,
"Mammal Evolution" (Facts on File 1986):

"However, with recent detailed study of the ear regions of aquatic
carnivores, the view that phocoids (that is, seals) and otaroids (the other
four families) had separate (diphyletic) origins fro terrestrial carnivores,
has gained considerable support.  Yet, while palaeontologists tend to see
the pinnipeds as diphyletic neozoologists find increasing support for their
single or monophyletic origin.  The evidence comes from studies of
chromosomes and serum albumins...  Sarich investigated the evolution of
albumin in pinnipeds, using immunological distance as a measure of
relationship.  He showed that the bear Ursus was slightly closer to a
sealion than to a seal, and that the sea otter Enhydra was slightly closer
to a seal than to a sealion.  However, seals and sealions were shown by
Sarich to be closer to each other than to any non-pinniped family..."

Anyone have an update?

Anyway, as far as Andre the seal was concerned, all this was lost on the
producers of the movie, who substituted a California sea lion for the Maine
harbour seal of the story (without changing the setting!) - equivalent to
letting a polar bear stand in for Lassie.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home)
Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court                  Messages: (416) 368-4661
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          Internet: ornstn@inforamp.net
Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940    
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5