[The position of seals in the system of mammals (author's transl)].

The common seal Phoca vitulina belongs to the order Pinnipedia, a group of marine mammals, the majority of which live in the colder seas. Two main groups are differentiated within this order: Otarioidea and Phocoidea. The Otarioidea are divided into two families: Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals) and Odobenidae (walruses): the Phocoidea consist of the family Phocidae (seals) only. The Pinnipedia are closely related to the order Carnivora: they probably originated about 50 million years ago from a group of mammals related to bears. Otarioidea and Phocoidea are now usually regarded as close relatives, n view of among others, biochemical and parasitological characters.