Scientists reconstruct the prehistoric behavior and ecology of northern fur seals

A large adult male northern fur seal (dark fur at left) surveys his harem of females and their pups on St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands. This small island group in the Bering Sea is home to the main breeding colony of northern fur seals, but new research shows that their range once extended as far south as California. Prehistoric populations of northern fur seals also nursed their young for at least a year, in contrast to the four months that modern populations spend together at the breeding ground. Credit: Image courtesy Michael A. Etnier