Editing Eared seal (section)

==Anatomy and appearance==
[[File:Sea lion family.JPG|right|thumb|[[California sea lion]]s]]<!-- I think that this picture is of a family, but I'm not sure, so I didn't want to be too bold! -->
[[File:Ohrenrobbe vor der Küste Namibias.jpg|thumb|Eared seal off the Namibian coast]]
Otariids have proportionately much larger foreflippers and pectoral muscles than phocids, and have the ability to turn their hind limbs forward and walk on all fours, making them far more maneuverable on land. They are generally considered to be less adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, since they breed primarily on land and haul out more frequently than true seals. However, they can attain higher bursts of speed and have greater maneuverability in the water. Their swimming power derives from the use of flippers more so than the sinuous whole-body movements typical of phocids and walruses.

Otariids are further distinguished by a more dog-like head, sharp, well-developed canines, and the aforementioned visible external pinnae. Their postcanine teeth are generally simple and conical in shape. The [[dentition|dental formula]] for eared seals is: {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.1-3|lower=2.1.4.1}}. Sea lions are covered with coarse guard hairs, while fur seals have a thick underfur, which has historically made them the objects of commercial [[seal hunting|exploitation]].

Male otariids range in size from the {{convert|70|kg|lb|abbr=on}} [[Galápagos fur seal]], smallest of all otariids, to the over 1,000-kg (2,200-lb) [[Steller sea lion]]. Mature male otariids weigh two to six times as much as females, with proportionately larger heads, necks, and chests, making them the most [[sexually dimorphic]] of all mammals.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Weckerly |first= FW |year= 1998 |title=Sexual-size dimorphism: influence of mass and mating systems in the most dimorphic mammals. |journal= Journal of Mammalogy|volume=79 |issue= 1|pages=33–42|doi=10.2307/1382840 |jstor= 1382840|doi-access= free }}</ref>