Monachus is a genus of true seal, family Phocidae, containing one living species, the Mediterranean monk seal, considered the worlds rarest pinniped species. Current populations survive in isolated groups across three main regions: the Mediterranean Sea, particularly the Aegean, the Madeira archipelago, and the Cabo Blanco area where Mauritania and Western Sahara meet on the northeastern Atlantic coast, with an estimated 800 to 1,000 individuals surviving across these fragmented subpopulations.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Member Count Band Era First Appeared Classification
Living or Extinct Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ676454, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Mediterranean monk seal
Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)View the Source 3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Monachus
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCountQuote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 1
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Monachus
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Monachus" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 2.58 ... "early_interval": "Gelasian"
Wikidata: Monachus
WikidataWikidata Q208549, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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