Pinniped - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Formerly classified as a separate biological suborder, Pinnipedia is now considered a subgroup within the suborder Caniformia of the order Carnivora.

Above: Phylogeny determined from parsimony analysis of 50 maximum likelihood gene trees

• Family Odobenidae
  • Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus
  • Imagotaria downsi (extinct)
• Family Otariidae
  • Genus Arctocephalus
    • Antarctic fur seal, A. gazella
    • Guadalupe fur seal, A. townsendi
    • Juan Fernández fur seal, A. philippii
    • Galápagos fur seal, A. galapagoensis
    • Brown fur seal, A. pusillus
      • South African fur seal, A. pusillus pusillus
      • Australian fur seal, A. pusillus doriferus
    • New Zealand fur seal, A. forsteri
    • Subantarctic fur seal, A. tropicalis
    • South American fur seal, A. australis
  • Genus Callorhinus
    • Northern fur seal, C. ursinus
  • Genus Eumetopias
    • Steller sea lion, E. jubatus
  • Genus Neophoca
    • Australian sea lion, N. cinerea
  • Genus Otaria
    • South American sea lion, O. flavescens
  • Genus Phocarctos
    • New Zealand sea lion, P. hookeri
  • Genus Zalophus
    • California sea lion, Z. californianus
    • Japanese sea lion, Z. japonicus – extinct (1950s)
    • Galápagos sea lion, Z. wollebaeki
• Family Phocidae
  • Subfamily Monachinae
    • Tribe Monachini
      • Monachopsis (extinct)
      • Pristiphoca (extinct)
      • Properiptychus (extinct)
      • Messiphoca (extinct)
      • Mesotaria (extinct)
      • Callophoca (extinct)
      • Pliophoca (extinct)
      • Pontophoca (extinct)
      • Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi
      • Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus
      • Caribbean monk seal, Monachus tropicalis (probably extinct around 1950)
    • Tribe Miroungini
      • Northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
      • Southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina
    • Tribe Lobodontini
      • Monotherium wymani (extinct)
      • Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossi
      • Crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus
      • Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx
      • Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii
    • Swan-necked seal, Acrophoca longirostris (extinct)
    • Piscophoca pacifica (extinct)
    • Homiphoca capensis (extinct)
  • Subfamily Phocinae
    • Kawas benegasorum (extinct)
    • Leptophoca lenis (extinct)
    • Preapusa (extinct)
    • Cryptophoca (extinct)
    • Bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus
    • Hooded seal, Cystophora cristata
    • Tribe Phocini
      • Common seal or Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina
      • Spotted seal or Larga seal, Phoca largha
      • Ringed seal, Pusa hispida (formerly Phoca hispida)
      • Baikal seal or Nerpa, Pusa sibirica (formerly Phoca sibirica)
      • Caspian seal, Pusa caspica (formerly Phoca caspica)
      • Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandica (formerly Phoca groenlandicus)
      • Ribbon seal, Histriophoca fasciata (formerly Phoca fasciata)
      • Phocanella (extinct)
      • Platyphoca (extinct)
      • Gryphoca (extinct)
      • Gray seal, Halichoerus grypus