Pinnipedimorpha is a clade of arctoid carnivorans that is defined to include the last common ancestor of Phoca and Enaliarctos, and all descendants of that ancestor. Scientists still debate on which lineage of arctoid carnivorans are the closest relatives to the pinnipedimorphs, being more closely related to musteloids.

Below is an overall phylogeny of the taxa covered in the article followed after a composite tree in Berta et al. (2018) and a total-evidence (combined molecular-morphological) dataset in Paterson et al. (2020):

†Amphicynodontidae †Semantoridae Pinnipedimorpha †Enaliarctidae Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Amphicynodontidae †Semantoridae Pinnipedimorpha †Enaliarctidae Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Amphicynodontidae
†Semantoridae Pinnipedimorpha †Enaliarctidae Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Semantoridae
Pinnipedimorpha †Enaliarctidae Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
Pinnipedimorpha†Enaliarctidae Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Enaliarctidae
Pinnipediformes †Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
Pinnipediformes†Pinnarctidion †Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Pinnarctidion
†Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos Pinnipedia Phocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Pacificotaria †Pteronarctos
†Pacificotaria
†Pteronarctos
PinnipediaPhocoidea Phocidae Otarioidea †Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
PhocoideaPhocidae
Phocidae
Otarioidea†Desmatophocidae Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
†Desmatophocidae
Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
Odobenidae Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
Odobenidae
Panotariidae †Eotaria Otariidae
Panotariidae†Eotaria Otariidae
†Eotaria
Otariidae

See also

Further reading

  • A. Berta, C. E. Ray, and A. R. Wyss. 1989. Skeleton of the oldest known pinniped, Enaliarctos mealsi. Science 244:60-62