A new durophagous phocid (Mammalia: Carnivora) from the late Neogene of Peru and considerations on monachine seals phylogeny

<div><p>Here we describe a new phocid, <i>Hadrokirus martini</i> gen. et sp. nov., from the Pisco Formation, in the locality of Sud-Sacaco (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene of Peru). This taxon is the third true seal described from this locality. It is characterized by strong dentition paired with a powerful masticatory musculature and a peculiar atlas. No precise diet is inferred here, but a propensity for durophagy and predation on large prey (such as the extant leopard seal, <i>Hydrurga leptonyx</i>) can be considered. A cladistic analysis including characters from the literature as well as original ones places <i>Hadrokirus</i> among lobodontines in a clade with <i>Piscophoca pacifica</i>, another phocid from the Pisco Formation. In addition, this analysis supports the monophyly of both Phocinae and Monachinae and recognizes a clade consisting of the four extant species of lobodontines, with <i>Acrophoca longirostris</i> (the third phocid from the Pisco Formation) as sister-group of this clade. All clades are supported by unambiguous non-homoplastic synapomorphies. Following the optimization, our analysis recognizes aquatic innovations as phocine reversions at the scale of Carnivora, or as convergences of monachines with non-phocid pinnipeds.</p><p><a href="http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A9884A4D-99C2-4CB0-BEE9-E2D2830481DD" target="_blank">http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A9884A4D-99C2-4CB0-BEE9-E2D2830481DD</a></p></div

Additional_file_7-revised

File format: .pdf. Title of data: Additional Results and Discussion. Description of data. Additional Results and Discussio

Additional_file_4

File format: Movie, .mov. Title of data: Movie through the CT-scan stack of the extant two-toed sloth Choloepus didactylus (MNHN-ZM-MO1996-594). Description of data. Coronal sections from posterior to anterio

Additional_file_5

File format: Movie, .avi. Title of data: Movie through the CT-scan stack of an early species of aquatic sloth, Thalassocnus natans (MNHN-F-SAS-734). Description of data. Coronal sections from posterior to anterio

Additional_file_6

File format: Movie, .mov. Title of data: Movie through the CT-scan stack of a late species of aquatic sloth, Thalassocnus carolomartini (SMNK-3814). Description of data. Coronal sections from posterior to anterio

Additional_file_1-revised

File format: MS Excel spreadsheet, .xls. Title of data: Raw data table. Description of data. Raw data table related to Figures 2-3

Movie through the CT-scan stack of a late species of aquatic sloth, <i>Thalassocnus carolomartini</i> (SMNK-3814). from Evolutionary adaptation to aquatic lifestyle in extinct sloths can lead to systemic alteration of bone structure

Coronal sections from posterior to anterio

Movie through the CT-scan stack of the extant two-toed sloth <i>Choloepus didactylus</i> (MNHN-ZM-MO1996-594). from Evolutionary adaptation to aquatic lifestyle in extinct sloths can lead to systemic alteration of bone structure

Coronal sections from posterior to anterio

Additional_file_2-revised-corr

File format: .pdf. Title of data: Additional Material and Methods. Description of data. Additional Material and Methods

Additional_file_3-revised2

File format: .pdf. Title of data: Supplementary Figures. Description of data