Oldest Fur Seal Identified (IMAGE)

University of Otago

Oldest Fur Seal Identified

Caption

The oldest known fur seal has been discovered by a geology Ph.D. student at New Zealand's University of Otago, providing a missing link that helps to resolve a more than five-million-year gap in fur seal and sea lion evolutionary history.

This new genus and species of fur seal has been named Eotaria crypta. The genus name Eotaria means 'dawn sea lion.'

Its fossilized partial jaw, with several well-preserved teeth, was recovered from a 15-17 million-year-old rock formation in Southern California in the early 1980s, but until now had been misidentified as belonging to a walrus species.

The two seals on the right are a life restoration of the tiny species, whose adult size was only slightly larger than a sea otter. The pinniped depicted above them is the larger-bodied seal Allodesmus, which also existed at the time.

Credit

Robert Boessenecker

Usage Restrictions

Ensure image is credited to Robert Boessenecker.

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.