Why the squad of pinnipeds was abolished, and the seals were moved to wolves and bears

Many of the school biology course remember that before seals and walruses belonged to the pinnipeds. But according to modern classification, such a detachment no longer exists in the mammalian class, and walruses, eared seals, and real seals now belong to the Carnivorous order, a suborder of Dog-like, along with canine, bear, and marten. Why did this happen?

Previously, representatives of three families were attributed to the order of pinnipeds: walruses, real seals and eared seals. Today these families are preserved, but the pinnipeds themselves are recognized as a group of animals that have common structural features, but not as a separate detachment, since their close relationship with representatives of the predatory detachment has been proved. Pinnipeds are known to be aquatic mammals whose ancestors lived on land. In the structure of their skeleton, hind limbs are noticeable, which are better developed in representatives of eared seals.

The peculiar appearance of pinnipeds was recognized as the result of a long evolution in the aquatic environment, while a number of other features indicate their affinity with the bear and marten.

In 2007, on Devon Island (Arctic Canada), paleontologists discovered a fossil animal that is supposedly the common ancestor of all real seals. This species was called pujila (lat. Puijila darwini) and was recognized as an intermediate link between representatives of the marten family and real seals. Its external appearance is more reminiscent of land marten, but, according to scientists, the puila lived in the water, swam well and had developed membranes on its paws.