Abstract
Pinnipedia are large, mostly marine carnivores that evolved from a primitive land Carnivora about 25 MYA. Their bodies are adapted for life in water, although they mate and give birth on land. They have greatly foreshortened extremities. The hands and feet have evolved into flippers. The hind flippers extend backward and act as a tail. The fore and powerful hind flippers propel their heavy, spindle-shaped bodies through the water or over rocky shores and beaches.
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Reference
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© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Lewis, J.H. (1996). Seals. In: Comparative Hemostasis in Vertebrates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9768-8_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9768-8_20
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