Callorhinus fossil map
Where fossils of Callorhinus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Otariidae |
| Named by | (Gray 1859) |
| Fossil records | 74 occurrences at 32 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Japan, Russia, Mexico |
| Rock formations | txn:96678, Purisima, Rio Dell, San Diego, Port Orford, Tomioka |
About Callorhinus
Callorhinus is a genus of fur seal. It contains the living northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) as well as the extinct Callorhinus gilmorei and an unnamed species, both from the Pliocene and very beginning of the Pleistocene.
The scientific name of the northern fur seal is Callorhinus ursinus. That second part, ursinus, comes from Latin and means "like a bear." People gave them this name because the males are large and strong, with thick fur that makes them resemble bears when they emerge from the water. Therefore, referring to them as "sea bears" is a nickname derived from their appearance and scientific name.
Callorhinus may be a sister genus to the extinct giant otariid, Thalassoleon.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Callorhinus (revision 1353348458), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q4412222.
