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Ophthalmology of Pinnipedimorpha: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses

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Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology

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Abstract

Pinnipeds are a clade of semi-aquatic carnivorous fin-footed marine mammals that descended from the superfamily Arctoidea within the suborder Canifornia. This is the same suborder that gave rise to bears (Ursidae) and weasels (mustilidae) (Arnason et al. 2006; Delisle and Strobeck 2005). The Mustilidae are thought to be the most closely related species to pinnipeds.(Arnason and Widegren 1986) Approximately 33 million years ago, the Otariidae (eared seals) and Obinidae (walruses) split from the Phocidae (true seals). A later split occurred, separating Otariidae and Obinidae.(Arnason et al. 2006) The transition of pinnipeds from land to water evolved simultaneously with their ability to see in air and underwater equally well.(Hanke et al. 2009a; Schusterman 1981; Schusterman and Balliet 2006) Many anatomical and physiological adaptations occurred to allow pinnipeds these amazing visual abilities.

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  1. All Animal Eye Care in Jupiter Pet Emergency and Specialty Center, Jupiter, FL, USA

    Carmen Colitz

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  1. Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

    Fabiano Montiani-Ferreira

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Bret A. Moore

  3. College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    Gil Ben-Shlomo

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Colitz, C. (2022). Ophthalmology of Pinnipedimorpha: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses. In: Montiani-Ferreira, F., Moore, B.A., Ben-Shlomo, G. (eds) Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81273-7_13

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