Odobenidae is a family of pinnipeds, of which the only extant species is the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus). In the past, however, the group was much more diverse, and includes more than a dozen fossil genera.
| Odobenidae Temporal range: Middle Miocene to present | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Clade: | Pinnipedia |
| Superfamily: | Otarioidea |
| Family: | Odobenidae Allen, 1880 |
| Genera | |
Odobenus (walrus) | |
Taxonomy
All genera, except Odobenus, are extinct.[1]
- †Archaeodobenus
- †Prototaria
- †Proneotherium
- †Nanodobenus
- †Neotherium
- †Imagotaria
- †Kamtschatarctos
- †Pelagiarctos
- †Pontolis
- †Pseudotaria
- †Titanotaria
- Clade Neodobenia[2]
- †Gomphotaria
- Subfamily Dusignathinae
- †Dusignathus
- Subfamily Odobeninae
- †Aivukus
- †Ontocetus
- †Pliopedia
- †Protodobenus
- †Valenictus
- Odobenus
In re-analyzing Pelagiarctos, Boessenecker et al. (2013) proposed the phylogenetic relationships of Odobenidae as follows (this analysis excluded Archaeodobenus, Titanotaria, Nanodobenus, and Pliopedia; and included Enaliarctos, Pteronarctos, Allodesmus, Desmatophoca, Callorhinus, Monachus, and Erignathus):[3]
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References
Further reading
- Jouventin P, Cornet A (1981-01-29). "The Sociobiology of Pinnipeds". In Rosenblatt JS, Hinde RA, Beer C, Busnell MC (eds.). Advances in the Study of Behavior. Vol. 11. Academy Press. p. 122. ISBN 0-12-004511-7.