Subfamily Arctocephalinae
Genus Arctocephalus
Antarctic fur seal, A. gazella
Brown fur seal, A. pusillus
South African fur seal, A. pusillus pusillus
Australian fur seal, A. pusillus doriferus
Galápagos fur seal, A. galapagoensis
Guadalupe fur seal, A. townsendi
Juan Fernández fur seal, A. philippii
New Zealand fur seal or southern fur seal, A. forsteri
South American fur seal, A. australis
Subantarctic fur seal, A. tropicalis
Genus Callorhinus
Northern fur seal, C. ursinus
Fur seals and sea lions make up the family Otariidae.
 Along with the Phocidae and Odobodenidae, ottariids are pinnipeds descending from a common ancestor most closely related to modern bears (as hinted by the subfamily Arctocephalinae, meaning "bear-headed").
The name pinniped refers to mammals with front and rear flippers.
Otariids arose about 15-17 million years ago in the Miocene, and were originally land mammals that rapidly diversified and adapted to a marine environment, giving rise to the semiaquatic marine mammals that thrive today.
Fur seals and sea lions are closely related and commonly known together as the "eared seals".
  
Until recently, fur seals were all grouped under a single subfamily of Pinnipedia, called the Arctocephalinae, to contrast them with Otariinae – the sea lions – based on the most prominent common feature, namely the coat of dense underfur intermixed with guard hairs.
 Recent genetic evidence, however, suggests Callorhinus is more closely related to some sea lion species, and the fur seal/sea lion subfamily distinction has been eliminated from many taxonomies.
 Nonetheless, all fur seals have certain features in common: the fur, generally smaller sizes, farther and longer foraging trips, smaller and more abundant prey items, and greater sexual dimorphism.
 For these reasons, the distinction remains useful.
Fur seals comprise two genera: Callorhinus, and Arctocephalus.
Callorhinus is represented by just one species in the Northern Hemisphere, the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), and Arctocephalus is represented by eight species in the Southern Hemisphere.
 The southern fur seals comprising the genus Arctocephalus include Antarctic fur seals, Galapagos fur seals, Juan Fernandez fur seals, New Zealand fur seals, brown fur seals, South American fur seals, and subantarctic fur seals.
Subfamily Arctocephalinae
Genus Arctocephalus
Antarctic fur seal, A. gazella
Brown fur seal, A. pusillus
South African fur seal, A. pusillus pusillus
Australian fur seal, A. pusillus doriferus
Galápagos fur seal, A. galapagoensis
Guadalupe fur seal, A. townsendi
Juan Fernández fur seal, A. philippii
New Zealand fur seal or southern fur seal, A. forsteri
South American fur seal, A. australis
Subantarctic fur seal, A. tropicalis
Genus Callorhinus
Northern fur seal, C. ursinus
Fur seals and sea lions make up the family Otariidae.  Along with the Phocidae and Odobodenidae, ottariids are pinnipeds descending from a common ancestor most closely related to modern bears (as hinted by the subfamily Arctocephalinae, meaning "bear-headed"). The name pinniped refers to mammals with front and rear flippers. Otariids arose about 15-17 million years ago in the Miocene, and were originally land mammals that rapidly diversified and adapted to a marine environment, giving rise to the semiaquatic marine mammals that thrive today. Fur seals and sea lions are closely related and commonly known together as the "eared seals".   
Until recently, fur seals were all grouped under a single subfamily of Pinnipedia, called the Arctocephalinae, to contrast them with Otariinae – the sea lions – based on the most prominent common feature, namely the coat of dense underfur intermixed with guard hairs.  Recent genetic evidence, however, suggests Callorhinus is more closely related to some sea lion species, and the fur seal/sea lion subfamily distinction has been eliminated from many taxonomies.  Nonetheless, all fur seals have certain features in common: the fur, generally smaller sizes, farther and longer foraging trips, smaller and more abundant prey items, and greater sexual dimorphism.  For these reasons, the distinction remains useful. Fur seals comprise two genera: Callorhinus, and Arctocephalus. Callorhinus is represented by just one species in the Northern Hemisphere, the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), and Arctocephalus is represented by eight species in the Southern Hemisphere.  The southern fur seals comprising the genus Arctocephalus include Antarctic fur seals, Galapagos fur seals, Juan Fernandez fur seals, New Zealand fur seals, brown fur seals, South American fur seals, and subantarctic fur seals.
Fur seal