Unique Short-Faced Miocene Seal Discovered in Grytsiv (Ukraine)

Numerous Miocene terrestrial mammal fossils have been discovered at the Grytsiv locality of Ukraine, but this is first record a fossil marine site. Morphological analysis rostral portion middle-late (12.3–11.8 Ma) partial skull suggests that it belongs to subfamily Phocinae. The small size and cranial morphology compared with recent representatives extant Phocinae extinct Devinophocinae. Extinct modern subfamilies Cystophorinae Monachinae were not incorporated in study due their extremely large comparison new find. This newly described belonged small-sized seal (likely similar sea otter based on width rostrum) an short rostrum several other diagnostic characters differ from all phocines. Due lack preservation fragility skulls, less than 20 so far. yet another example ancestral seal, supporting suggestion seals become larger over evolutionary history. Overall, any information true important since allows resolving contentious phylogenetic relationships between group.