Phylogenetic Relationships within the Phocoid Pinniped Clade

鳍足类动物是海洋哺乳动物的一个重要类群， 包括海象海狮和海豹 然而，尽管如此， 它们彼此之间以及与其他物种之间的进化关系 哺乳动物仍不清楚。 安娜丽莎·波塔博士是个脊椎动物 研究化石和活体解剖的古生物学家 为了重建它们的进化 历史 她的研究还考虑了 的物种，提供了独特的见解， 群体行为的演变，以及从 陆地祖先 波塔博士建议继续她的 研究了它们之间的进化关系， 用化石的形态学数据来描述鳍足类。 本 项目将侧重于phocids，一个可能的姐妹集团，以 海象 渐新世的头盖骨和后头盖骨材料- 将对俄勒冈州海岸中新世进行研究， 能力（主要是前肢与后肢推进） 估算 此项目代表了 以前支持研究耳状鳍足类的奖项 （海象，海狮，但不是海豹）。 这项拟议中的研究对广泛的科学研究具有影响。 观众 比较解剖学家和脊椎动物学家将 我欢迎从早第三纪化石中获得的新数据，沿着 主要的进化关系的新重建 哺乳动物群体。 功能形态学家会关注这个 关于替代性调整的关键信息的研究 生活在水生栖息地。 进化生物学家将整合 这些发现与最近基于DNA序列数据的结果， 从而对这一点有了异常详细的了解 值得注意的群体。

Pinnipeds are an important group of marine mammals, comprising the walruses, sea lions, and seals. Nevertheless, their evolutionary relationships to each other and to other mammals remain unclear. Dr. Annalisa Berta is a vertebrate paleontologist studying the anatomy of fossil and living pinnipeds for the purpose of reconstructing their evolutionary history. Her research also considers the functional capabilities of fossilized species, providing unique insight into the evolution of behavior in the group, and its transformation from terrestrial ancestors. Dr. Berta proposes to continue her investigations into the evolutionary relationships among pinnipeds using morphological data from fossils. The present project will focus on the phocids, a possible sister-group to the walruses. Cranial and post-cranial material from the Oligocene- Miocene of coastal Oregon will be examined, and locomotor capabilities (principally forelimb versus hindlimb propulsion) estimated. This project represents a logical extension of a previous award that supported study of the otarioid pinnipeds (walruses, sea lions, but not seals). The proposed research has implications for a wide scientific audience. Comparative anatomists and vertebrate zoologists will welcome the new data derived from early Tertiary fossils, along with new reconstructions of evolutionary relationships of major mammalian groups. Functional morphologists will look to this study for critical information on alternative adaptations to life in aquatic habitats. Evolutionary biologists will integrate these findings with recent results based on DNA sequence data, resulting in an unusually detailed understanding of this noteworthy group.