None of which detracts from the point that this intermediate limb of a seal is both a functional leg and a flipper and a seal survives just fine without it being fully a leg or fully a flipper.
“Functional leg” as long as you’re satisfied with that definition of functionality insofar as it hobbles around on the ice and that’s about it. It can’t outrun polar bears, can’t do much of anything but hobble.
But no matter there’s simply nothing whatsover in this world to say it’s “intermediate” other than sheer conjecture.
No telling how many ga-jillions of years we’ll have to wait and see if the seal makes it’s mind up and goes the flipper route or the leg route or just hires out otters to do the hunting for them and stays exactly as it is (as God created them in the first place).
And that made perfect sense to raving loons everywhere I suppose.
A seal doesn’t need to outrun a polar bear. Obviously seal survival hasn’t been dependent upon them outrunning polar bears. Obviously a seal is smarter than you about how to avoid a polar bear.