The Respiratory System of the Arctocephalus australis in Comparison to the Dog as a Land-Carnivore: Are There Adaptations to Marine Life?

Marine mammals are divided into three groups, with similar adaptations resulting from their aquatic lifestyle: sirenians, pinnipeds, and cetaceans. The present work focused on the South American fur seal, or , a carnivore included in the pinnipeds group. We assessed whether the anatomical features of the respiratory system are comparable to those of other land-carnivores or whether these individuals show anatomical adaptations related to their ability to dive or their breath-holding capacities. We studied 11 cadavers of , which included adult ( = 2) and juvenile ( = 9) individuals, by anatomically dissecting their isolated entire respiratory system. Although it is generally similar to that in land-carnivores, we demonstrated that the 's respiratory apparatus shows several specific characteristics. Therefore, our results are of great importance for clinical diagnostic and wildlife conservation purposes.