Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Odobenidae (walrus)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Odobenidae

Taxonomy
Odobaenidae was named by Allen (1880). It is extant.

It was corrected as Odobenidae by Hay (1902), Kellogg (1922), Weber (1928), Hay (1930), Mitchell (1961), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Burns and Fay (1970), Repenning and Tedford (1977), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Fay (1985), Carroll (1988), Tomida (1989), Berta et al. (1989), Riedman (1990), Berta (1991), Nowak (1991), Deméré (1994), Berta (1994), Berta (1994), Deméré (1994), Horikawa (1995), Kohno et al. (1995), Rice (1998), Rice (2002), Berta (2002), Deméré et al. (2003), Koretsky and Barnes (2006), Kohno (2006), Barnes (2008), Kohno and Ray (2008), Berta (2009), Rice (2009), Fulton and Strobeck (2010), Boessenecker (2013), Berta (2017), Velez-Juarbe (2018), Boessenecker et al. (2018), Berta (2018), Kienle and Berta (2019), Paterson et al. (2020), Biewer et al. (2020), Boisville et al. (2024) and Boessenecker et al. (2024).

It was assigned to Phocomorpha by Berta (1994) and Berta (2002); to Pinnipedia by Hay (1930), Berta et al. (1989), Berta (1991), Nowak (1991), Deméré (1994), Berta (1994), Rice (1998) and Deméré et al. (2003); to Carnivora by Deméré (1994) and Kohno (2006); to Phocoidea by Rice (2002) and Rice (2009); to Pinnipedia by Cope (1889), Hay (1902), Weber (1928), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Tomida (1989) and Boessenecker (2013); to Pinnipedimorpha by Kienle and Berta (2019); to Otarioidea by Mitchell (1961), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Burns and Fay (1970), Repenning and Tedford (1977), Fay (1985), Carroll (1988), Riedman (1990), Horikawa (1995), Koretsky and Barnes (2006), Barnes (2008), Fulton and Strobeck (2010) and Paterson et al. (2020); and to Pinnipedia by Kellogg (1922), Kohno et al. (1995), Kohno and Ray (2008), Berta (2009), Berta (2017), Velez-Juarbe (2018), Boessenecker et al. (2018), Berta (2018), Biewer et al. (2020), Boisville et al. (2024) and Boessenecker et al. (2024).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1866Rosmaridae Gill p. 7
1880Odobaenidae Allen p. 5
1889Odobaenidae Cope p. 876
1902Odobenidae Hay p. 783
1922Odobenidae Kellogg p. 101
1928Odobenidae Weber p. 349
1930Odobenidae Hay p. 559
1961Odobenidae Mitchell p. 4
1963Odobenidae Scheffer and Rice p. 3
1970Odobenidae Burns and Fay p. 379
1977Odobenidae Repenning and Tedford p. 8
1980Odobenidae Kurten and Anderson p. 200
1985Odobenidae Fay p. 1
1988Odobenidae Carroll
1989Odobenidae Berta et al. p. 61 figs. Fig. 3
1989Odobenidae Tomida p. 110
1990Odobenidae Riedman p. 58 figs. Table 2
1991Odobenidae Berta p. 29 figs. Fig. 22
1991Odobenidae Nowak
1994Odobenidae Berta p. 25 figs. Fig. 21
1994Odobenidae Deméré p. 77
1995Odobenidae Horikawa p. 322 figs. Table 4
1995Odobenidae Kohno et al. p. 113
1998Odobenidae Rice
2002Odobenidae Berta p. 923
2002Odobenidae Rice p. 231 figs. Table 1
2003Odobenidae Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3
2006Odobenidae Kohno p. 411
2006Odobenidae Koretsky and Barnes p. 144
2008Odobenidae Barnes p. 531
2008Odobenidae Kohno and Ray p. 44
2009Odobenidae Berta p. 863
2009Odobenidae Rice p. 235 figs. Table 1
2010Odobenidae Fulton and Strobeck p. 817 figs. Figure 1
2013Odobenidae Boessenecker p. 824
2017Odobenidae Berta p. 156
2018Odobenidae Berta p. 713 figs. Fig. 2
2018Odobenidae Boessenecker et al. p. 282
2018Odobenidae Velez-Juarbe p. 2
2019Odobenidae Kienle and Berta
2020Odobenidae Biewer et al.
2020Odobenidae Paterson et al.
2024Odobenidae Boessenecker et al. p. 5
2024Odobenidae Boisville et al.

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—Laurasiatheria
—Scrotifera
—Ferae()
—CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
—CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderCaniformiaKretzoi 1943
infraorderCanoidea(Simpson 1931)
superfamilyArctoideaFlower 1869
—PanpinnipediaWolsan et al. 2020
—Pinnipedimorpha
—Pinnipedia()
familyOdobenidae()
familyOdobenidae()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Odobenidae Allen 1880 [walrus]
show all | hide all
G. †Archaeodobenus Tanaka and Kohno 2015
+
†Archaeodobenus akamatsui Tanaka and Kohno 2015
G. †Imagotaria Mitchell 1968
+
†Imagotaria downsi Mitchell 1968
G. †Kamtschatarctos Dubrovo 1981
+
G. †Nanodobenus Velez and Salinas-Márquez 2018
+
†Nanodobenus arandai Velez and Salinas-Márquez 2018
Unr. †Neodobenia Magallanes et al. 2018
+
Subfm. †Dusignathinae Mitchell 1968
+
G. †Dusignathus Kellogg 1927
+
†Dusignathus seftoni Deméré 1994
G. †Gomphotaria Barnes and Raschke 1991
+
†Gomphotaria pugnax Barnes and Raschke 1991
G. †Neotherium Kellogg 1931
+
†Neotherium mirum Kellogg 1931
Subfm. Odobeninae Allen 1880
+
G. †Aivukus Repenning and Tedford 1977
+
†Aivukus cedrosensis Repenning and Tedford 1977
Tr. Odobenini Allen 1880
+
G. Odobenus Brisson 1762 [walrus]
+
†Odobenus mandanoensis Tomida 1989
†Odobenus obesus antiquus Kardas 1965
Odobenus rosmarus Linnaeus 1758 [walrus]
+
+
Invalid names: Trichechus cookii Fremerij 1831 [synonym]
Invalid names: Hemicaulodon effodiens Cope 1869 [synonym], Odobenus virginianus De Kay 1842 [synonym], Trichechus orientalis Dybowski 1922 [synonym], Trichechus virginianus Dekay 1842 [synonym]
Invalid names: Hemicaulodon Cope 1869 [synonym], Odobenotherium Gratiolet 1858 [synonym], Rosmarus Brunnich 1772 [synonym], Trichechus Linnaeus 1766 [synonym], Trichechus obesus Gill 1866 [nomen nudum]
G. †Ontocetus Leidy 1859
+
†Ontocetus emmonsi Leidy 1859
+
Invalid names: Alachtherium africanum Geraads 1997 [synonym], Alachtherium antverpiensis Rutten 1907 [synonym], Alachtherium cretsii Du Bus 1867 [synonym], Prorosmarus alleni Berry and Gregory 1906 [synonym], Trichecodon huxleyi Lankester 1865 [synonym]
†Ontocetus posti Boisville et al. 2024
Invalid names: Alachtherium Du Bus 1867 [synonym], Prorosmarus Berry and Gregory 1906 [synonym], Trichecodon Lankester 1865 [synonym], Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden 1871 [nomen dubium]
G. †Valenictus Mitchell 1961
+
†Valenictus chulavistensis Deméré 1994
†Valenictus imperialensis Mitchell 1961
†Valenictus sheperdi Boessenecker et al. 2024
Invalid names: Odobenina McKenna and Bell 1997 [empty]
G. †Pliopedia Kellogg 1921
+
†Pliopedia pacifica Kellogg 1921
G. †Protodobenus Horikawa 1995
+
†Protodobenus japonicus Horikawa 1995
G. †Osodobenus Biewer et al. 2020
+
†Osodobenus eodon Biewer et al. 2020
G. †Pelagiarctos Barnes 1988
+
†Pelagiarctos thomasi Barnes 1988
G. †Pontolis True 1905
+
†Pontolis barroni Biewer et al. 2020
†Pontolis kohnoi Biewer et al. 2020
†Pontolis magnus True 1907
Invalid names: Pontoleon True 1907 [synonym]
G. †Proneotherium Kohno et al. 1995
+
†Proneotherium repenningi Kohno et al. 1995
G. †Prototaria Takeyama and Ozawa 1984
+
†Prototaria primigena Takeyama and Ozawa 1984
G. †Pseudotaria Kohno 2006
+
†Pseudotaria muramotoi Kohno 2006
G. †Titanotaria Magallanes et al. 2018
+
†Titanotaria orangensis Magallanes et al. 2018
Invalid names: Rosmaridae Gill 1866 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteuc
Ontogeny: modification of partsuc
Environment: marinef
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: amphibiousf
Diet: insectivoref
Reproduction: viviparousf
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-06-08 12:11:09
Source: f = family, c = class, uc = unranked clade
References: Kohno et al. 1995, Carreño and Cronin 1993, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Burdigalian to the top of the Holocene or 20.44000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma

Collections (366 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Miocene - Pliocene23.03 - 2.588Netherlands Alachtherium sp., Trichechus huxleyi (53929)
Neogene23.03 - 2.58USA (Georgia) Ontocetus emmonsi (77597)
Neogene23.03 - 2.58USA (Florida) Ontocetus emmonsi (77598 77599)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97USA (Oregon) Proneotherium repenningi (18929)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Japan (Mie) Odobenidae indet. (227075)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Japan (Gifu) Odobenidae indet. (227082)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Japan (Shimane) Neotherium mirum (227079)
Burdigalian - Langhian20.44 - 13.82USA (California) Pelagiarctos sp. (138432)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Japan (Miyagi) Prototaria planicephala (59153)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82USA (California) Neotherium mirum (13297) Neotherium sp. (19595) Pelagiarctos thomasi (59060) Pelagiarctos thomasi, Neotherium mirum, Odobenidae indet. (59059)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Japan (Fukui) Prototaria primigena (59152 59166)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Japan (Hokkaido) Odobenidae indet. (55652)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Mexico (Baja California) Neotherium sp., Otariidae indet. (52183)
Langhian - Serravallian15.97 - 11.62USA (California) Imagotaria sp., Odobenidae indet. (46069) Neotherium mirum (225316) Neotherium sp. (151009) Odobenidae indet. (121152)
Langhian - Serravallian15.97 - 11.62Russian Federation (Kamchatka) Kamtschatarctos sinelnikovae (59165)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608Japan (Gunma) Neotherium sp. (101827)
Langhian - Tortonian15.97 - 7.246Mexico (Baja California Sur) Neotherium sp., Nanodobenus arandai (57778)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62Netherlands Alachterium cretsii (75152)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62Mexico (Baja California) Neotherium sp. (57777)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62USA (California) Neotherium mirum (58987)