Acrophoca longirostris is an extinct species of pinniped whose fossils have been discovered in Peru and Chile.

Description

The 1.5 m (5 ft) long creature was not as well-adapted to swimming as its descendants, possessing less developed flippers and a less streamlined neck, and spent a lot of time near the coast. Acrophoca was probably a fish eater. Its fossils have been found alongside those of the marine sloth Thalassocnus and tusked cetacean Odobenocetops, as well as modern animals such as bottlenose dolphins, gannets and cormorants. Acrophoca is thought to have been the ancestor of the modern leopard seal.

References

• World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures: The Ultimate Visual Reference To 1000 Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Creatures Of Land, Air And Sea ... And Cretaceous Eras (World Encyclopedia) by Dougal Dixon