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Monachinae

Mammalia - Carnivora - Phocidae

Taxonomy
Monachinae was named by Trouessart (1897). It is extant.

It was assigned to Phocidae by Trouessart (1898), Trouessart (1904), Kellogg (1922), Weber (1928), Friant (1947), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Burns and Fay (1970), Stirling (1971), Ginsburg and Janvier (1971), Hendey (1974), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Muizon and Hendey (1980), Muizon (1981), Muizon (1981), Muizon and Bond (1982), Muizon (1982), Riedman (1990), Koretsky (1991), Ling and Bryden (1992), Rice (1998), Ginsburg and Janvier (1999), Koretsky (2001), Berta (2002), Koretsky and Holec (2002), Koretsky and Grigorescu (2002), Deméré et al. (2003), Adam (2004), Davis et al. (2004), Koretsky and Barnes (2008), Koretsky and Ray (2008), Berta (2009), Fulton and Strobeck (2010), Bianucci et al. (2011), Amson and Muizon (2013), Koretsky et al. (2014), Koretsky and Domning (2014), Berta et al. (2015), Valenzuela-Toro et al. (2016), Boessenecker and Churchill (2016), Berta (2017), Rahmat et al. (2017), Dewaele et al. (2018), Dewaele et al. (2018), Berta (2018), Dewaele and Lambert (2018), Govender (2018), Berta et al. (2018), Albright et al. (2019), Kienle and Berta (2019), Rule et al. (2020), Rule et al. (2020), Hafed et al. (2021), Hafed et al. (2023), Dewaele and de Muizon (2024), Hafed et al. (2024), Valenzuela-Toro et al. (2024).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1897Monachinae Trouessart p. 378
1898Monachinae Trouessart p. 378
1904Monachinae Trouessart p. 282
1922Monachinae Kellogg p. 87
1928Monachinae Weber p. 351
1947Monachinae Friant p. 5
1963Monachinae Scheffer and Rice p. 3
1970Monachinae Burns and Fay p. 380
1971Monachinae Ginsburg and Janvier p. 163
1971Monachinae Stirling p. 1
1974Monachinae Hendey p. 66
1980Monachinae Kurten and Anderson p. 207
1980Monachinae Muizon and Hendey p. 94
1981Monachinae Muizon p. 19
1982Monachinae Muizon p. 205 figs. Table 1
1982Monachinae Muizon and Bond p. 172
1990Monachinae Riedman p. 57 figs. Table 2
1991Monachinae Koretsky p. 41A
1992Monachinae Ling and Bryden p. 1
1998Monachinae Rice
1999Monachinae Ginsburg and Janvier p. 171
2001Monachinae Koretsky p. 86
2002Monachinae Berta p. 923
2002Monachinae Koretsky and Grigorescu p. 150
2002Monachinae Koretsky and Holec p. 175 figs. Fig. 9
2003Monachinae Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3
2004Monachinae Adam p. 1
2004Monachinae Davis et al. p. 365
2008Monachinae Koretsky and Barnes p. 549
2008Monachinae Koretsky and Ray p. 90
2009Monachinae Berta p. 863
2010Monachinae Fulton and Strobeck p. 817 figs. Figure 1
2011Monachinae Bianucci et al. p. 576
2013Monachinae Amson and Muizon
2014Monachinae Koretsky and Domning p. 224
2014Monachinae Koretsky et al. p. 421
2015Monachinae Berta et al. p. 3
2016Monachinae Boessenecker and Churchill
2016Monachinae Valenzuela-Toro et al. p. 4
2017Monachinae Berta p. 157
2017Monachinae Rahmat et al. p. 224
2018Monachinae Berta p. 715 figs. Fig. 3C
2018Monachinae Berta et al. p. 210 figs. Fig. 2
2018Monachinae Dewaele and Lambert p. 6
2018Monachinae Dewaele et al. p. 7
2018Monachinae Govender p. 2
2019Monachinae Albright et al. p. 179
2019Monachinae Kienle and Berta
2020Monachinae Rule et al. p. 2
2021Monachinae Hafed et al. p. 707
2023Monachinae Hafed et al.
2024Monachinae Dewaele and de Muizon p. 34
2024Monachinae Hafed et al.
2024Monachinae Valenzuela-Toro et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Eugnathostomata
—Teleostomi(Bonaparte 1836)
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()
familyPhocidae()
subfamilyMonachinae
subfamilyMonachinae

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.

Subfm. Monachinae Trouessart 1897
show all | hide all
G. †Acrophoca Muizon 1981
+
†Acrophoca longirostris Muizon 1981
G. †Afrophoca Koretsky and Domning 2014
+
†Afrophoca libyca Koretsky and Domning 2014
G. †Australophoca Valenzuela-Toro et al. 2016
+
†Australophoca changorum Valenzuela-Toro et al. 2016
G. †Hadrokirus Amson and Muizon 2013
+
†Hadrokirus martini Amson and Muizon 2013
†Hadrokirus novotini Hafed et al. 2023
G. †Homiphoca Muizon and Hendey 1980
+
†Homiphoca capensis Hendey and Repenning 1972
†Homiphoca murfreesi Hafed et al. 2023
G. Hydrurga Gistel 1848 [leopard seal]
+
Hydrurga leptonyx de Blainville 1820 [leopard seal]
Invalid names: Ogmorhinus Peters 1875 [synonym], Ogmorhinus (Ogmorhinus) Trouessart 1904 [invalid subgroup]
G. Leptonychotes Gill 1872 [Weddell seal]
+
Invalid names: Leptonyx Gray 1837 [synonym], Peocilophoca Lydekker 1891 [synonym], Poecilophoca Lydekker 1891 [synonym]
G. Lobodon Gray 1844 [crabeater seal]
+
Lobodon carcinophaga Hombron and Jacquinot 1843 [crabeater seal]
+
Invalid names: Stenorhynchus serridens Owen 1843 [synonym]
Invalid names: Leptorhynchus Gray 1844 [synonym], Ogmorhinus Turner 1888 [synonym]
Tr. †Lobodontini Gray 1869
+
G. †Magophoca Dewaele and de Muizon 2024
+
†Magophoca brevirostris Dewaele and de Muizon 2024
G. †Magnotherium Rahmat et al. 2021
+
†Magnotherium johnsii Rahmat et al. 2021
G. Mirounga Gray 1827 [elephant seal]
+
Mirounga angustirostris Gill 1866 [northern elephant seal]
Mirounga leonina Linnaeus 1758 [southern elephant seal]
Invalid names: Macrorhinus Cuvier 1824 [synonym], Macrorhyna Gray 1827 [synonym], Physorhinus Gloger 1841 [synonym], Rhinophoca Wagler 1830 [synonym]
Tr. Monachini Trouessart 1904
+
G. †Eomonachus Rule et al. 2020
+
†Eomonachus belegaerensis Rule et al. 2020
G. Monachus Flemming 1822 [monk seal]
+
Subg. Monachus (Monachus) Trouessart 1898
Subg. †Monachus (Monatherium) Van Beneden 1876
Monachus monachus Hermann 1779 [Mediterranean monk seal]
+
Invalid names: Monachus albiventer Boddaert 1785 [synonym]
Invalid names: Heliophoca Gray 1854 [synonym], Mammonachus Herrera 1899 [synonym], Pelagios Cuvier 1824 [synonym], Pelagocyon Gloger 1842 [synonym]
G. †Monotherium Van Beneden 1876
+
†Monotherium wymani Leidy 1854
G. Neomonachus Scheel et al. 2014 [Hawaiian monk seal]
+
Neomonachus schauinslandi Hermann 1779 [Hawaiian monk seal]
+
Invalid names: Cystophora antillarum Gray 1849 [synonym]
G. †Noriphoca Dewaele et al. 2018
+
†Noriphoca gaudini Guiscardi 1870
G. Ommatophoca Gray 1844 [Ross seal]
+
G. †Piscophoca Muizon 1981
+
†Piscophoca pacifica Muizon 1981
G. †Pliophoca Tavani 1941
+
†Pliophoca etrusca Tavani 1941
G. †Pontophoca Kretzoi 1941
+
Invalid names: Pontophoca simionescui Kretzoi 1941 [nomen dubium]
G. †Sarcodectes Rule et al. 2020
+
†Sarcodectes magnus Rule et al. 2020
Invalid names: Miroungini Muizon 1981 [empty]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
I. A. Koretsky and D. P. Domning 2014Body of mandible large, thick, and deep, with wide but short, square-shaped teeth; metaconid and basal cingulum weakly developed; mental process present; symphysis reaches middle of alveolus p2; postcanine tooth row oriented parallel to axis of mandible; posterior alveoli oblique; postcanine teeth multicusped; alveolus of p4 bigger than those of m1; diastemata between teeth absent (see also phylogenetic analysis of Monachinae in Koretsky and Grigorescu, 2002).
A. Hafed et al. 2021Mandibular chin prominence present; body of mandible thick and large; mandibular symphysis thick; two mandibular incisors.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteuc
Ontogeny: modification of partsuc
Environment: marineuc
Locomotion: actively mobilep
Life habit: amphibiousuc
Diet: piscivoref
Diet 2: carnivoref
Reproduction: viviparousuc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-06-08 12:11:09
Source: f = family, p = phylum, uc = unranked clade
References: Nowak 1991, Gingerich 2003, Kiessling 2004, Carreño and Cronin 1993

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Aquitanian to the top of the Holocene or 23.04000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 20.45 Ma

Collections (243 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Aquitanian23.04 - 20.45Italy (Abruzzo) Phoca gaudini (153678)
Miocene23.04 - 5.333Germany Monotherium sp. (102175)
Miocene - Pliocene23.04 - 2.58South Africa Homiphoca capensis (22220 22228 22229)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98South Africa (Namaqualand) Mirounga sp. (51190)
Burdigalian - Langhian20.45 - 13.82Libya Afrophoca libyca (153675)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82Peru (Ica) Monachinae indet. (136426)
Middle Miocene - Pliocene15.98 - 2.58New Zealand (South Island) Monachini indet. (209725)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63Netherlands Monotherium affinis (75152)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63Moldova (Chișinău) Monotherium meoticum (210590)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63USA (Virginia) Monachinae indet. (57111) Monotherium wymani (126605) Phocidae indet. (57110)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63Italy Monotherium sp. (48656)
Sarmatian12.8 - 11.63Moldova Pontophoca simionescui (57734)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Chile Acrophoca sp. (68782) Acrophoca sp., Pisciphoca pacifica, Monachinae indet. (69730) Australophoca changorum (175063)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Chile (Atacama) Acrophoca sp. (80365)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246USA (California) Monachinae indet. (13300)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Malta Monachinae indet. (121989)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Peru (Arequipa) Acrophoca sp., Monachinae indet., Australophoca changorum (45485)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Peru Monachinae indet. (45486) Piscophoca sp., Acrophoca longirostris (183918)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246USA (Maryland) Homiphoca sp., Magnotherium johnsii (221449)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333South Africa Homiphoca capensis (22219)