Australophoca changorum

Australophoca changorum was an extinct basal monk seal from the Miocene epoch. It is important because it helps illuminate the early evolution of true seals in South America.

It lived during the Miocene epoch, a period in Earth's history that began roughly 23 million years ago and ended about 5.3 million years ago. The species is known from the fossil record rather than living populations.

It was a seal, specifically an early member near the base of the monk-seal lineage. Its anatomy and age help researchers study how true seals developed in the Southern Hemisphere.

The species provides evidence about early seal evolution in South America. As a basal monk seal, it helps connect later monk seals with older pinniped forms.