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SC/69A/NH/02
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Resource ID
20028
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/69A/NH/02
Full Title
Determining the number of breeding populations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the North Atlantic and levels of mixing on the Central and Northeast Atlantic summer range
Author
Palsbøll, Bérubé, Gabualdi, Robbins, Berrow, Chalifour, Clapham, Gose, Kovacs, Lopez-Suarez, Lydersen, Magnúsdóttir, Pace, Pampoulie, Rasmussen, Ryan, Schweinsberg, Sigurjónsson, Kizildas, Tollrian, Vely, Vikingsson, Wenzel, Van Der Zee, Øien
Authors Summary
Palsbøll et al. estimated the degree of divergence and inferred the rate of contemporary connectivity among humpback whale breeding populations in the North Atlantic. Analysis was based on traditional genetic markers (simple tandem repeat loci, STRs and mitochondrial control region DNA sequences) as well as genome data (10,308 SNPs across the genome and entire mitochondrial genome DNA sequences). A single predominantly eastern North Atlantic cluster appears to be confined to winter and summer ranges within the eastern North Atlantic and likely represents the remnants of what used to be a historically isolated eastern North Atlantic breeding population. There is a 10-25% rate of immigration of individuals of western origin into the eastern breeding population. The magnitude of this introgression suggests that it is a recent phenomenon because such a high immigration rate over the long-term would have erased any signal of west-east genetic structure. Individuals with a 50 - 100 % eastern North Atlantic origin can be identified easily by genotyping 20 STR loci. Hence, it is possible to monitor if mortalities are from this much smaller population, and potentially to determine whether certain areas are critical to individuals with an eastern origin.
Publisher
IWC
Publication Year
2023
Abstract
We estimated the degree of divergence and inferred the rate of contemporary connectivity among humpback whale breeding populations in the North Atlantic. Analysis was based on traditional genetic markers (simple tandem repeat loci, STRs and mitochondrial control region DNA sequences) as well as genome data (10,308 SNPs across the genome and entire mitochondrial genome DNA sequences). A single predominantly eastern North Atlantic cluster appears to be confined to winter and summer ranges within the eastern North Atlantic and likely represents the remnants of what used to be a historically isolated eastern North Atlantic breeding population. There is a 10-25% rate of immigration of individuals of western origin into the eastern breeding population. The magnitude of this introgression suggests that it is a recent phenomenon because such a high immigration rate over the long-term would have erased any signal of west-east genetic structure. Individuals with a 50 - 100 % eastern North Atlantic origin can be identified easily by genotyping 20 STR loci. Hence, it is possible to monitor if mortalities are from this much smaller population, and potentially to determine whether certain areas are critical to individuals with an eastern origin.