The oldest definitive pinniped fossils date from approximately 30.6–23 million years ago
(Ma) in the North Pacific. Pinniped monophyly is consistently supported; the group shares a …

Marine reptiles and mammals are phylogenetically so distant from each other that their
marine adaptations are rarely compared directly. We reviewed ecophysiological features in …

Mammals are the dominant large animals of today, occurring in virtually every environment.
This book is an account of the remarkable 320 million year long fossil record that documents …

Comparative biologists often attempt to draw inferences about tempo and mode in evolution
by comparing the fit of evolutionary models to phylogenetic comparative data consisting of a …

The evolution of fully aquatic mammals from quadrupedal, terrestrial mammals was
associated with changes in morphology and swimming mode. Drag is minimized by …

Species of the suborder Pinnipedia belong to three families (Phocidae-true seals;
Otariidaefur seals and sea lions; and Odobenidae-walruses) and are distinctive~ mong …

Extant aquatic mammals are a key component of aquatic ecosystems. Their morphology,
ecological role and behaviour are, to a large extent, shaped by their feeding ecology …

Phylogenies underpin comparative biology as high-utility tools to test evolutionary and
biogeographic hypotheses, inform on conservation strategies, and reveal the age and …

Previous hypotheses for the origin and diversification of pinnipeds have followed a narrative
approach based mostly on dispersalist (ie, center of origin) explanations. Using an analytical …

In the present study, a series of phylogenetic analyses of morphological, molecular, and
combined morphological-molecular datasets were conducted to investigate the relationships …