Editing Earless seal (section)

===Taxonomy===

{{Cladogram|align=left|title=
|clade=
{{clade
|style=font-size:75%;line-height:75%;width:500px;
|label1=[[Pinnipedia]]
|1={{clade
   |label1='''Phocidae'''
   |1={{clade
      |label1=[[Phocinae]]
      |1={{clade
         |1=[[Bearded seal]]<!-- Erignathus barbatus -->
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Hooded seal]]<!-- Cystophora cristata -->
            |label2=Phocini
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1={{clade
                     |1={{clade
                        |1={{clade
                           |1=[[Ringed seal]]<!-- Pusa hispida -->
                           |2=[[Baikal seal]]<!-- Pusa sibirica -->
                           }}
                        |2=[[Caspian seal]]<!-- Pusa caspica -->
                        }}
                     |2={{clade
                        |1=[[Spotted seal]]<!-- Phoca largha -->
                        |2=[[Harbor seal]]<!-- Phoca vitulina -->
                        }}
                     }}
                  |2=[[Grey seal]]<!-- Halichoerus grypus-->
                  }}
               |2={{clade
                  |1=[[Ribbon seal]]<!-- Histriophoca fasciata) -->
                  |2=[[Harp seal]]<!-- Pagophilus groenlandicus -->
                  }}
               }}
            }}
         }}
      |label2=[[Monachinae]]
      |2={{clade
         |1={{clade
            |label1=Lobodontini
            |1={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1={{clade
                     |1=[[Weddell seal]]<!-- Leptonychotes weddellii -->
                     |2=[[Leopard seal]]<!-- Hydrurga leptonyx-->
                     }}
                  |2=[[Crabeater seal]]<!-- Lobodon carcinophaga -->
                  }}
               |2=[[Ross seal]]<!-- Ommatophoca rossii -->
               }}
            |label2=Miroungini|sublabel2=(elephant seals)
            |2={{clade
               |1=[[Southern elephant seal]]<!-- Mirounga leonina -->
               |2=[[Northern elephant seal]]<!-- Mirounga angustirostris -->
               }}
            }}
         |label2=Monachini
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Mediterranean monk seal]]<!-- Monachus monachus -->
            |2=[[Hawaiian monk seal]]<!-- Neomonachus schauinslandi -->
            |3=[[Caribbean monk seal]]
            }}
         }}
      }}
   |2={{clade
      |1=[[Otariidae]] ([[eared seal]]s)
      |2=[[Odobenidae]] ([[Walrus]])
      }}
   }}
}}
|caption=[[Cladogram]] showing relationships among the phocids, combining several phylogenetic analyses.<ref name="Berta Churchill Boessenecker 2018">{{cite journal | last1=Berta | first1=Annalisa | last2=Churchill | first2=Morgan | last3=Boessenecker | first3=Robert W. | title=The Origin and Evolutionary Biology of Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses | journal=Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences | publisher=Annual Reviews | volume=46 | issue=1 | date=2018-05-30 | issn=0084-6597 | doi=10.1146/annurev-earth-082517-010009 | pages=203–228| bibcode=2018AREPS..46..203B | s2cid=135439365 | doi-access=free }}</ref>
}}

In the 1980s and 1990s, morphological [[phylogenetics|phylogenetic]] analysis of the phocids led to new conclusions about the interrelatedness of the various genera. More recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have confirmed the [[monophyly]] of the two phocid subfamilies ([[Phocinae]] and Monachinae).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Árnason|first1=Úlfur|last2=Bodin|first2=Kristina|last3=Gullberg|first3=Anette|last4=Ledje|first4=Christina|last5=Suzette|first5=Mouchaty|date=1995|title=A molecular view of pinniped relationships with particular emphasis on the true seals|journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution|volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=78–85|doi=10.1007/BF00166598|pmid=7714914 |bibcode=1995JMolE..40...78A |s2cid=7537924}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Arnason |first1=Ulfur |last2=Gullberg |first2=Anette |last3=Janke|first3=Axel |last4=Kullberg|first4=Morgan |last5=Lehman |first5=Niles |last6=Petrov |first6=Evgeny A.|last7=Väinölä|first7=Risto|date=2006-11-01 |title=Pinniped phylogeny and a new hypothesis for their origin and dispersal|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=41|issue=2 |pages=345–354|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.022 |pmid=16815048|bibcode=2006MolPE..41..345A }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fulton|first1=Tara Lynn|last2=Strobeck|first2=Curtis |date=2010|title=Multiple markers and multiple individuals refine true seal phylogeny and bring molecules and morphology back in line |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences  |volume=277 |issue=1684 |pages=1065–1070 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2009.1783|pmc=2842760|pmid=19939841}}</ref><ref name="Fulton-2010">{{Cite journal |last1=Fulton |first1=Tara L. |last2=Strobeck|first2=Curtis |date=2010|title=Multiple fossil calibrations, nuclear loci and mitochondrial genomes provide new insight into biogeography and divergence timing for true seals (Phocidae, Pinnipedia) |journal=Journal of Biogeography |volume=37|issue=5 |pages=814–829 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02271.x|bibcode=2010JBiog..37..814F |s2cid=59436229 }}</ref> The Monachinae (known as the "southern" seals), is composed of three tribes; the Lobodontini, Miroungini, and Monachini. The four [[Antarctic]] genera ''[[leopard seal|Hydrurga]]'', ''[[Weddell seal|Leptonychotes]]'', ''[[crabeater seal|Lobodon]]'', and ''[[Ross seal|Ommatophoca]]'' are part of the [[tribe (biology)|tribe]] [[Lobodontini]]. Tribe Miroungini is composed of the [[elephant seal]]s. The [[Monk seal]]s (''[[Mediterranean monk seal|Monachus]]'' and ''[[Neomonachus]]'') are all part of the tribe Monachini.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Scheel |first1=Dirk-Martin|last2=Slater|first2=Graham J.|last3=Kolokotronis|first3=Sergios-Orestis |last4=Potter |first4=Charles W.|last5=Rotstein|first5=David S.|last6=Tsangaras|first6=Kyriakos |last7=Greenwood|first7=Alex D.|last8=Helgen|first8=Kristofer M.|date=2014|title=Biogeography and taxonomy of extinct and endangered monk seals illuminated by ancient DNA and skull morphology |journal=ZooKeys|issue=409 |pages=1–33|doi=10.3897/zookeys.409.6244|pmc=4042687|pmid=24899841|doi-access=free|bibcode=2014ZooK..409....1S }}</ref> Likewise, subfamily Phocinae (the "northern" seals) also includes three tribes; Erignathini (''[[bearded seal|Erignathus]])'', Cystophorini (''[[hooded seal|Cystophora)]]'', and [[Phocini]] (all other phocines). More recently, five species have been split off from ''Phoca'', forming three additional genera.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Berta|first1=Annalisa |last2=Churchill|first2=Morgan|date=2012 |title=Pinniped taxonomy: review of currently recognized species and subspecies, and evidence used for their description|journal=Mammal Review |volume=42 |issue=3|pages=207–234 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00193.x|bibcode=2012MamRv..42..207B }}</ref>

Alternatively the three monachine tribes have been evaluated to familiar status, which elephant seals and the Antarctic seals are more closely related to the phocines.<ref name="Bonner1994">{{cite book | last1 = Bonner | first1 = N. | year = 1994| title = Seals and Sea Lions of the World | publisher = Blandford |location= United Kingdom | pages = 1–224 |isbn = 9780816057177}}</ref>
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