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Three exon regions of the myoglobin gene of Baikal seal Phoca sibirica have been amplified and sequenced. The sequences have been found identical to those for the myoglobin gene of the North Atlantic seal Halichoerus grypus. Thus, these seal species have separated not earlier than 2.2 billion years before present.

The primary structure of myoglobin of the seal of Lake Baikal (East Siberia) Phoca siberica, determined by sequencing the whole protein and peptides obtained by the cyanogen bromide or proteinase cleavage and separated by the microcolumn liquid chromatography, was found to be identical to the primary structures of myoglobins of the harbour seal Phoca vitulina largha and the grey seal Halehoerus gryphus. It suggests that these species separated from a common ancestor less than seven million years ago.