• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Pinniped Taxonomy revised (1 Viewer)

Mysticete

Mysticete

Well-known member
United States
Perhaps of some interest (and yes, more shameless self endorsement)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00193.x/abstract

The following changes to pinniped taxonomy are proposed:

The genus Arctocephalus is now represented only by the Cape Fur Seal, Arctocephalus pusillus, with two subspecies, one in South Africa and one in Australia.

The remainder of Arctocephalus are allocated to the resurrected genus Arctophoca.

New Zealand Fur Seal is lumped with the South American Fur Seal as the Southern Fur Seal (Arctocephalus australis), although maintained as a distinct subspecies (A. a. forsteri).

Galapagos Fur Seal is retained as a distinct species (Arctophoca galapagoensis)

The Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (A. p. philippi) and the Guadalupe Fur Seal (A.p. townsendi) are tentatively lumped as Townsend's Fur Seal (Arctocephalus philippi). This change however has already been vetoed by the Marine Mammal Checklist committee, on the basis of their disjunct distribution.

Two subspecies of Northern Sea Lion are recognized, Loughlin's Sea Lion (E. j. monteriensis) of the Western Aleutians and Japan, and Steller's (E. j. jubatus) of the Western North Pacific

Harbor Seals are reduced to three subspecies, the Freshwater Seal (P.v. mellonae) of eastern Canada, the Atlantic Common Seal (P.v.vitulina), and the Pacific Harbor Seal (P.v. richardi)

Ringed Seals are reduced to 4 subspecies, Arctic (P. h. hispida), Ladoga (P.h. ladogensis), Saimaa (P.h. saimensis) and Okhotsk (P. h. ochotensis)

Walrus is reduced to 2 subspecies, Pacific (O. r. divergens) and Atlantic (O. r. rosmarus)

Listers don't get any new species, but will lose a few. Hopefully the angry crowds with pitchforks won't be too bad (and at least Jurek will have my back) ;)
 
One split we do recognize, which I forgot to mention, is that a three way sea lion split is recognized; the extinct Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus), Galapagos Sea Lion (Z. wollebaeki), and California Sea Lion (Z. californianus)
 
Mysticete said:
One split we do recognize, which I forgot to mention, is that a three way sea lion split is recognized; the extinct Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus), Galapagos Sea Lion (Z. wollebaeki), and California Sea Lion (Z. californianus)
Click to expand...

Well splitting out extinct untickable populations is no use to anyone is it!!!!:C

More seriously though based solely on my very limited pinniped knowledge these all sound like they make logical sense. I'd be interested to hear more about the Juan Fernandez/Guadelupe lump though?
 
From a morphological and genetic perspective, despite the huge disjunction in ranges, there is actually very little difference between Guadalupe and Juan Fernandez Fur Seals, and it is because of the extreme allopatry that they have largely been recognized as distinct species. However, the problem is that there is actually very little material for either of these subspecies, making comparisons hard. I think there are only 5-6 specimens of Juan Fernandez Fur Seal in the world in collections. Guadalupe is better, but still not great. Lots more specimens, but nearly all I have come across are pups (sick or abandoned animals taken into custody that later died). So neither subspecies is well represented in collection, and only limited genetic sampling has occurred. So really, the evidence for lumping or splitting these species is poor, either way.
 
Chlidonias said:
nope not going to accept that! Never never never!
Click to expand...

With you there :t:. It's another example of northern chauvinism if you ask me :C :C :C. As for splitting dead stuff - have you no shame Morgan? ;)

Chris

p.s. Abstract????????? Come on, lets have the full Monty. pdf or nowt ;)

c

p.p.s

Little material for Guadaloupe and Juan Fernadez taxa? Sounds like a cracking excuse for a superb trip there Morgan :t::t::t:

c
 
Last edited:
Hah

all of the genetic diversity of the NZ Fur Seal can be found in ONE COLONY of South American Fur Seals. On top of that, I have looked at a large number of fur seals, and have yet to find one consistent difference in cranial morphology between the two forms.

It gets worse though...part of the problem is that the original population went nearly extinct, and the modern seals are a mutt mix of several fur species that after the cessation of sealing recolonized NZ. I really don't think there is any basis at moment for recognizing New Zealand Fur Seal as a distinct species, other than historical inertia

You get to keep your endemic sea lion though!
 
if it dulls the pain, than Harbor seals and walruses are probably over-lumped and a split might be in the pipeline. I intend to tackle the harbor seals hopefully for a postdoc.
 
Hi Chris...PM your email (and anyone else who wants the pdf) and I will send it to you.

Also, I missed the last comment in Chris's post. Unfortunately I am a morphologist...not sure I really want to go and shoot either species given their conservation status. I will gladly volunteer to collaborate with a genetics person and help them wrangle fur seals for more DNA samples.
 
Thanks for the paper and it looks like there is still plenty of work to be done, particularly on Phocids. The only 'problem' I can see is you're a morphologist when what we need is a genetisist ;) ;) ;)

Chris :smoke:
 
Mysticete said:
Hah

all of the genetic diversity of the NZ Fur Seal can be found in ONE COLONY of South American Fur Seals. On top of that, I have looked at a large number of fur seals, and have yet to find one consistent difference in cranial morphology between the two forms.

It gets worse though...part of the problem is that the original population went nearly extinct, and the modern seals are a mutt mix of several fur species that after the cessation of sealing recolonized NZ. I really don't think there is any basis at moment for recognizing New Zealand Fur Seal as a distinct species, other than historical inertia

You get to keep your endemic sea lion though!
Click to expand...

I haven't really got a view on whether NZ & South American Fur Seals should be lumped but I really don't understand the arguements for proposing it - but then I'm not a geneticist or a morphologist, just a birder with an interest in seals!

If New Zealand Fur Seals are so limited in genetic diversity how can modern NZ Fur Seals also be a mongrel mix of other fur seal species - wouldn't those other species leave genetic markers in the current population? I think that's called genetic regression?

Wouldn't the lack of genetic diversity be a sign of having gone through a population bottle-neck and the current population being descended from the few animals that survived sealing?

I'm pretty sure Rowley Taylor investigated this theory about modern NZ Fur Seals being different from original NZ Fur Seals but didn't find any evidence for it.
 
I admit I explained it poorly here. There is something complex going on with the seals. I can ascertain that from a morphological perspective, there are no differences in the cranium between the two. When I have the time I will try to write up a more detailed explanation
 
Warning! This thread is more than 13 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top