Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Fossil of 'Missing Link' Walking Seal Found

Arctic creature's existence was predicted by Charles Darwin

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 23, 2009 3:03 AM CDT

(Newser) – The fossil of a semi-aquatic creature unearthed in northern Canada may hold the key to how seals and walruses evolved, the BBC reports. The carnivore—which resembles a cross between an otter and a seal—had feet that were webbed but weren't flippers. Scientists believe the animals walked on land and swam in fresh water.

The find fills a crucial gap in the fossil record "when terrestrial carnivores traded limbs for fins and moved from land to sea," said one biology professor. The animal has been named Pujilla darwini. The label is based on an Inuit word for sea mammal and is a nod to Charles Darwin, who believed that land mammals likely evolved into ocean-going marine mammals via an intermediate stage in fresh water.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

An artist's rendering shows what scientists believe the Puijila darwini would have looked like in its habitat. A fossil of the otter-like animal was found on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. (AP Photo/Canadian Museum of Nature, Mark A. Klingler)

An artist's rendering shows a line drawing of the skeleton and outline of the Puijila darwini, an otter-like fossil that was found on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. (AP Photo/Canadian Museum of Nature, Mark A. Klingler)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

This animal was likely adept at both swimming and walking on land. Pujilla is the evolutionary evidence we have been lacking for so long.
- Mary Dawson from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Giant Bunny Fossils Discovered Off Spain

'King of rabbits' was 6 times the size of modern bunnies

(NEWSER) - On the Spanish island of Minorca up to 5 million years ago, the rabbit was king. Researchers there have discovered fossils belonging to the biggest-ever member of the bunny family, LiveScience reports. Nuralagus rex, weighing in at some 26 pounds—about six times the size of modern rabbits—had largely lost the ability to hop, and had relatively small ears, researchers say. More»

'Darwin Day' Celebrated in Rural US, Quietly

Biologists take the opportunity to show kids science is 'cool'

(NEWSER) - How to celebrate "Darwin Day" in rural America? Very carefully, the New York Times reports: When evolutionary biologists set out on a road trip this weekend to Virginia, Nebraska, Montana, and Iowa to promote science in honor of Charles Darwin's 202nd birthday, one high school principal made sure to send out permission slips (two parents opted out). A museum vice president only publicized the event to teachers, not the community at large. Even so, the intended audience—students—seemed to deem the events a success: One 10th-grader blogged that the scientists "told it like it is." More»

Walruses Short-Changed on Fed Protection

Endangered tuskers 'low on the totem pole'

(NEWSER) - The Interior Department has decided that walruses are endangered enough to warrant protection—but it's not going to give it to them. The threat to the Pacific walrus from global warming reducing Arctic sea ice is very real, officials say, but limited government resources mean protection will have to wait until threats to other species have been addressed. "Where walruses fall on this priority system is they're a little bit low on the totem pole," an official tells NPR. More»

Melting Ice Forces Thousands of Walruses Ashore

Calves at risk of being trampled as animals squeeze onto Alaska coast

(NEWSER) - Tens of thousands of walruses have squeezed onto small patches of Alaska's shore because of melting ice floes. Scientists say the loss of sea ice has forced the lumbering creatures into a mass migration to land. The huge number of walruses foraging in a small area makes cubs extremely vulnerable to being trampled, the Guardian reports. More»

Hump-Backed Feathered Dino Discovered

Mystery dinosaur offers link to first birds

(NEWSER) - It had a mysterious hump over its pelvis and feather-attachment bumps on its forearms: Meet the newly discovered Concavenator corcovatus, a dinosaur scientists hope will offer clues about the emergence of the first birds. Paleontologists unearthed the dino, a member of the theropod family, in central Spain. And while its feather-attachment bumps closely resemble those found in modern birds, it is not closely related to any previously known birds or feathered dinosaurs. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Fossil of 'Missing Link' Walking Seal Found