First Record of Postcranial Bones in Devinophoca emryi (Carnivora, Phocidae, Devinophocinae)

Abstract

First Record of Postcranial Bones in Devinophoca emryi (Carnivora, Phocidae, Devinophocinae). Rahmat, S. J., Koretsky, I. -Th e Devinophoca emryi material from the early Badenian, early Middle Miocene (16.26-14.89 Ma) presents mixed cranial and especially postcranial characters with the three extant phocid subfamilies (Cystophorinae, Monachinae and Phocinae), as well as unique postcranial characters not seen in any taxa. Th ese distinguishing characters (i. e. well-outlined, large oval facet on greater tubercle of humerus; broader width between the head and lesser tubercle of humerus; femoral proximal epiphysis larger than distal; thin innominate ilium that is excavated on ventral surface) demonstrate that this material belongs to a recently described species (D. emryi). During ecomorphotype analyses, fossil humerus and femur bones were directly associated with their corresponding mandible to reveal associations based on Recent morphological analogues. Strong correlation between ecomorphotypes and postcranial morphology supports placement of this material to D. emryi and not its sister taxon, D. claytoni. Th e previously described skull, mandible and teeth and postcranial bones described herein were discovered at the same locality during excavations at the base of the Malé Karpaty Mountains (Slovakia), at the junction of the Morava and Danube rivers. Th e geological age of D. emryi and the presence of mixed characters strongly suggest that this species was an early relative to the ancestor of seals, possibly being a terminal branch of the phocid tree. Th is material allows for emended diagnoses of the species, updated assessments of geographical distribution and provides further material for clarifi cation of controversial phylogenetic relationships in Phocidae.

Reappraisal of the extinct seal “Phoca”vitulinoidesfrom the Neogene of the North Sea Basin, with bearing on its geological age, phylogenetic affinities, and locomotion

“…Pending the discovery of new associated or articulated cranial and mandibular material of Praepusa vindobonensis , we tentatively score mandibular and cranial characters of Praepusa vindobonensis on the basis of mandibles and skulls currently housed in the IZUAN collection, but coding is based on descriptions and illustrations from Koretsky (2001) and are not readily adopted from her character matrix. Character states of other OTUs are scored on the basis of illustrations and descriptions in the literature ( Mitchell, 1966 ; Barnes, 1972 ; Mitchell & Tedford, 1973 ; Berta & Ray, 1990 ; Cozzuol, 2001 ; Koretsky, 2001 ; Koretsky & Holec, 2002 ; Koretsky, Peters & Rahmat, 2015 ; Koretsky & Rahmat, 2015 ; Rahmat & Koretsky, 2016 ; Dewaele, Lambert & Louwye, 2017 ).…”

Mandibular Morphology of the Mid-Miocene Seal Devinophoca claytoni (Carnivora, Phocidae, Devinophocinae)

“…Overall, D. claytoni shares mixed characters with the three extant phocid subfamilies as well as presents distinguishing traits not previously described, similar to D. emryi (Koretsky and Rahmat, 2015;Rahmat and Koretsky, 2016). Members of the subfamily Devinophocinae demonstrate the most primitive characters known to date, making this subfamily the possible ancestral morphotype for all seals.…”

New Miocene Monachinae from the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland, USA)

“…These four subfamilies should be considered as separate phylogenetic branches (Koretsky and Rahmat, 2015: fig. 8) of early Phocidae, which separated from ancient Carnivora probably in the early Oligocene (or perhaps even before that time) in the Paratethyan / Mediterranean Basins (Koretsky and Sanders, 2002;Koretsky and Domning, 2014;Koretsky and Rahmat, 2015;Rahmat and Koretsky, 2016). Phocids greatly expanded their range during the Middle Miocene in the Parathethyan region, crossed the Atlantic Ocean westward, but then practically ceased to exist in Eastern Europe by the Early Pliocene ( fig.…”