Editing Leopard seal (section)

==Research history and taxonomy==
[[Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville]], a French zoologist, [[Species description|described]] the leopard seal in 1820 from a [[stuffed specimen]] from the collection of one M. Hauville, in [[Le Havre]]. The skin that produced this work of taxidermy was sourced from "the southern seas",{{Efn|''des mer du sud''<ref name="OG"/>}} that he ascertained to be from around the [[Falkland Islands]].{{Efn|''des environs des îles Falckland ou Malouines''.<ref name="OG"/>}} Blainville describes the specimen as "beautiful", 7-8 "pieds" long ({{Convert|7|-|8|ft|abbr=in}} long) and elongated, the form and features of the head resembling the "phoque moine" or [[monk seal]], with a small number of [[whiskers]] short and simple in shape. Blainville was not able to find the [[Ear canal|ear opening]]. The "[[anterior]]" limbs are [[falciform]], consisting of five [[finger]]s which decrease in size from the first to the fifth, tipped with very small claws, with that of the thumb not being "terminal".{{Efn|''...et cinq ongles assez petits, quoique bien évidens; celui du pouce n'est pas terminal''<ref name="OG"/>}} The hindlimbs are very [[distal]] (far back{{efn|''très-reculés''<ref name="OG"/>}}) and close to the short tail; these also consist of five [[Phalanx bone|digits]], though in contrast to the forelimb, the middle toe is the shortest, with the rear flippers forming a "[[wikt:swallowtail|swallowtail]]".{{efn|''dont les extrêmes sont les plus longs''<ref name="OG"/>}} The skin he examined was described as yellow-white with a brownish dorsum; this is evidently a result of the skin discoloring, as taxidermies degrade over time. He thought that this new species, ''Phoca leptonyx'',{{efn|''[[wikt:lepto-|lepto-]] + [[wikt:ὄνυξ|onyx]]''; "thin-clawed"}} must correspond to the animal that "navigators of austral seas" named the "sea calf".<ref name="OG"/>

Blainville found it comparable to a specimen he refers to as the "third skull" he examined and described in the same work, possessing the same number and shape of the incisors.{{efn|''le nombre et la forme des incisives sont en effet absolument le mêmes''<ref name="OG"/>}} This skull, unlabeled and thus of unknown [[Locality (biology)|locality]], was noted as fresher and more bleached than the second skull he examined, being 10-12 [[pouce]]s long. At first glance, he found that the skull had significant resemblance to the skull of the "phoque commun" or [[common seal]], moreso than the previous two; though this skull was of bigger dimensions, was not as flattened nor narrowed [[Postorbital bone|post-orbitally]],{{efn|''...par moins d'aplatissement du crâne proprement dit, un moindre rétrécissement post-orbitaire''<ref name="OG"/>}} and notably had a well developed [[sagittal crest]] and enlarged [[nasal fossa]]e.{{efn|This passage was followed by;''...ce qu'indique une énorme épaisseur inter-orbitaire, er par celle de leurs ouvertures antérieure et postérieure.{{Clarify|reason=I have no idea how to translate this and how relevant it is to the prior passage|date=May 2025}}''<ref name="OG"/>}} The robust [[molars]] of this skull possesses two [[Tooth root|roots]] and three [[Cusp (anatomy)|cusps]], pointed and prominent with the central cusp being the tallest. Five molars were present on each side of the [[jawbone]], after the robust [[Canine tooth|canines]],{{efn|''les canines ne diffèrent guère aussi de celles du veau marin que par beaucoup plus de force''<ref name="OG"/>}} and the two [[incisor]]s, the outer pair of incisors resembling the shape of the canines.<ref name="OG">{{cite journal |author=Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville |title=Sur Quelques Cranes de Phoques |journal=Journal de Physique, de Chimie, d'Histoire Naturelle et des Arts |date=July 1820 |volume=91 |location=Paris |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6174274#page/321/mode/1up |access-date=23 May 2025}}</ref>{{rp|288-289}}

The genus ''Hydrurga''{{efn|''[[wikt:hydro-|hydro]] + [[wikt:ἔργον|ergon]]''; "[[wikt:Hydrurga|water worker]]"{{Verify quote|date=May 2025}}}} was erected by [[Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel]] in 1848.<ref name="Hydrurga">{{cite book |last1=Gistel |first1=Johannes |title=Naturgeschichte des Thierreichs : für höhere Schulen |page=XI |date=1851 |others=first published 1848 |publisher=Scheitlin & Krais |location=Stuttgart |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175526#page/15/mode/1up|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.97235 |access-date=23 May 2025}}</ref><ref name=IRMNG/>