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The Evolution of Fin Morphology in Harp Seals

The Evolution of Fin Morphology in Harp Seals. By Liza Blackwell & Whitney Gunn. Our questions:. How has the harp seal, Phoca groenlandica , back fin evolved? With the changes in fin morphology, what adaptations has the harp seal experienced (i.e. change in habitat, change in locomotion)?.

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The Evolution of Fin Morphology in Harp Seals

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  1. The Evolution of Fin Morphology in Harp Seals By Liza Blackwell & Whitney Gunn

  2. Our questions: • How has the harp seal, Phocagroenlandica, back fin evolved? • With the changes in fin morphology, what adaptations has the harp seal experienced (i.e. change in habitat, change in locomotion)?

  3. Background information on harp seals: • Scientific Name: Phocagroenlandica • Lifespan: up to 35 years of age • Weight: 250-350 pounds • Length: 6 to 7 feet • Live in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean • There are 19 known species of true seals

  4. Harp seals- big & small !

  5. True Seals • True seals are earless seals. They make up one of the three main groups within the seal family, Pinnipedia. • True seals do not have an external ear flaps, hence why they are called earless. • True seals do not have strong front flippers or flexible hind flippers.

  6. Ancestry of the harp seal: • The harp seal’s lineage: • Phylum: Chordata • Class: Mammalia • Order: Carnivora • Family: Phocidae • Genus: Phoca • Species: Phoca groenlandica http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hT8DtfriYU

  7. Research conducted on propulsion in mammalian swimming by Frank E. Fish • Fish’s research studied how once quadrupedal, terrestrial mammals evolved into fully aquatic mammals. • He studied the differences in propulsion of terrestrial, semiaquatic, and full aquatic mammals. • He found harp seals to use pelvic oscillations as their mode of locomotion and to use thrust force for lift.

  8. Figure 1 is showing: The major forces associated with propulsion modes. Note the third animal figure. This is the harp seal and its propulsive mode of pelvic oscillation shown. Also, the harp seal uses its hind flippers (i.e. back fins) lift-based propulsion.

  9. Harp seal mobility: Back fin morphology helps to explain harp seal mobility in their aquatic environment. The harp seal has transitioned from drag-based to lift-based propulsion during the course of evolution. Note the back fin anatomy on the harp seal above.

  10. Harp seal mobility continued: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVtecticP0

  11. Research on the harp seal: • While some research has been done on harp seals (as seen in the previous video), not a lot of supporting research has been done. • With recent discoveries, more research is being conducted on the harp seals, but we do not have access to these findings yet.

  12. Questions?

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