Neomonachus is a genus of earless seals, within the family Phocidae. It contains two species: the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, and the extinct Caribbean monk seal. Prior to 2014, all three species of monk seals were placed in the genus Monachus, but that was found to be paraphyletic.[1]

Species

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution
N. schauinslandi Hawaiian monk seal Hawaiian Islands and United States Minor Outlying Islands, United States
†N. tropicalis Caribbean monk seal Once ranged throughout the Caribbean Sea (in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico) and the Southeastern United States; extinct

References

  1. ^ a b Scheel, D.-M.; Slater, G. J.; Kolokotronis, S.-O.; Potter, C. W.; Rotstein, D. S.; Tsangaras, K.; Greenwood, A. D.; Helgen, K. M. (May 2014). "Biogeography and taxonomy of extinct and endangered monk seals illuminated by ancient DNA and skull morphology". ZooKeys (409): 1–33. Bibcode:2014ZooK..409....1S. doi:10.3897/zookeys.409.6244. PMC 4042687. PMID 24899841.