DOCSLIB.ORG

The Gray Whale, Eschrichtius Robustus

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Gray Whale, Eschrichtius Robustus The Gray Whale, Eschrichtius robustus DALE W. RICE, ALLEN A. WOLMAN, and HOWARD W. BRAHAM Introduction eastern stock which breeds along the 1970; Mitchell and Mead I), but has west coast of North America, and the been extinct there for several cen­ The gray whale, Eschrichtius "Korean" or western stock which ap­ turies. robustus (LilIjeborg, 1861), is readily parently breeds off the coast of recognized by its mottled gray color eastern Asia (Rice and Wolman, Distribution and Migration and lack of a dorsal fin. Instead of 1971). Both stocks were severely Eastern North Pacific this fin, it has a low hump, followed depleted by the early 1900's. Under by a series of 10 or 12 knobs along the legal protection, the eastern stock has Most of the California stock spends dorsal ridge of the tail stock; these are recovered substantially- one of the the summer feeding, mostly in the easily seen when the animal arches to few stocks of great whales to do so. northern Bering and southern Chukchi dive. The adult gray whale is 36-50 The western stock has not recovered. Seas (Pike, 1962; Rice and Wolman, feet long and weighs between 16 and The gray whale formerly occurred in 45 tons. the North Atlantic (van Deinse and The gray whale is currently con­ Junge, 1937; Cederlund, 1939; Fraser, 'Mitchell, E. D., and 1. G. Mead. fined to the North Pacific Ocean (Fig. 1977. History of the gray whale in the Atlantic Ocean. (Abstr.) In Proceedings of the 2nd 1). Because it uses coastal habitats ex­ Conference on the Biology of Marine Mam­ tensively, the gray whale was especial­ The authors are with the National Marine mals, San Diego, California, 12-15 December ly vulnerable to shore-based whaling Mammal Laboratory, Northwest and Alaska 1977, p. II. (Available from first author, Arctic Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Biological Station, Department of Fisheries and operations. Two stocks occur in the Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Oceans, 555 SI. Pierre Blvd., Ste. Anne de North Pacific: The "California" or Bin C15700, Seattle, WA 98115. Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3R4, Canada). 120' E 150' E 180' 150'W 120'W 90'W 60'W 30'W O' Figure I. - Geographic distribution of the gray whale. Simple hatching indicates the summer feeding grounds. Small dots indicate the migration routes. Stippling indicates the winter grounds. In the Atlantic, the gray whale has been extinct for at least several hundred years; early historical records are indicated by large dots, subfossil finds by triangles. Perhaps extinct is the population that formerly spent the winter in southern Japan (large dot). 46(4),1984 7 1971; Bogoslovskaya et al., 1981). An '¢.~~-- - unknown number of individuals sum­ ~.~ __.---- '1 mer along the west coast of North -~..:::: America in apparently isolated loca­ tions south of Alaska from Vancouver Island, Canada, as far south as Baja California, Mexico (Patten and Samaras, 1977; Sprague et al., 1978). In the Beaufort Sea, sightings have been made of small groups as far east as long. 130 0 W during August (Rugh and Fraker, 1981); in the East Siberian Sea, gray whales were found along the Siberian coast as far west as 174°08'E in late September (Marquette et. al., 1982). A new~orn gray whale calf in Laguna Ojo de Liebre, Baja California, Mexico. In October and November, the Each dimple on the snout and lower lip marks the site of a hair. Photo by D. W. RIce. stock begins leaving the Chukchi Sea, exiting the Bering Sea through Unimak Pass, Alaska, mainly in November and December (Rugh and Braham, 1979; Braham, 1984; Rugh, 1984). The The major calving areas are Laguna Unimak Pass (Braham et aI., 1977; whales migrate near shore along the Guerrero Negro (with 9 percent of the Braham, 1984). This migration is coast of North America from Alaska calves), Laguna Ojo de Liebre (53 per­ completely coastal, at least to the east all the way to central California (92 cent), Laguna San Ignacio (II central Bering Sea (Nunivak Island). percent pass within 1.4 km of Cape percent), and Estero Soledad (12 per­ Most animals in Alaska travel within Sarichef, Unimak Pass, and 94 percent cent). Minor calving areas (each with I km of the coast, especially in the pass within 1.6 km of the Monterey­ < 6 percent) are San Juanico Bight, southeastern Bering Sea, and at least Point Sur area of central California). Bahia Magdalena, Bahia Almejas, and some apparently feed during migra­ After passing Point Conception, Bahia Santa Marina (Rice et al., 1981). tion (Braham, 1984). During the Calif., the majority take a more direct Calving rarely occurs during the south­ northward migration, the sequence is offshore route across the southern bound migration north of Baja as follows: Newly pregnant females, California Bight to northern Baja California (Rice and Wolman, 1971; followed by anestrous females, adult California. Southbound migrating Sund, 1975). A few calves are also males, and immature males and gray whales swim at about 7.7 born on the eastern side of the Gulf of females; cows with calves are the last kmlhour, and thus travel about 185 California at Yavaros, Sonora, and animals to leave the lagoons, and km per day (pike, 1962). Bahia Reforma, Sinaloa, Mexico most migrate after the other whales. Migrating gray whales are temporal­ (Gilmore, 1960). Contrary to many The peak of the migration passes ly segregated according to sex, age, published statements, there is no Point Piedras Blancas, Calif., about I and reproductive status (Rice and evidence that San Diego Bay, Calif., May (Poole3). was ever a calving area (Henderson, Wolman, 1971). During the southward Western North Pacific migration, the sequence of passage off 1972). Recent studies have revealed California is as follows: Females in late that the vast majority of gray whales in The Korean stock formerly oc­ pregnancy, followed by females that Baja California (other than cows with cupied the northern Sea of Okhotsk in have recently ovulated, adult males, calves) spend the winter outside the the summer, as far north as Penzhin­ immature females, and then immature lagoons in Bahia Sebastian Viscaino skaya Bay, and south to Akademii 2 males. The earliest southbound and Bahia de Ballenas (Rice et al. ). and Sakhalinskiy Gulfs on the west migrants (mostly late-pregnant The northbound migration begins and the Kikhchik River on the east. females) usually travel singly, whereas in mid-February, and by April whales Southbound whales migrated along later migrants usually are in pods of begin showing up in the southern Ber­ the coast of eastern Asia to winter two or more. The mean pod size ing Sea, which they enter through through Unimak Pass is about two. 'Poole, M. M. 1981. The northward migra­ This stock winters mainly along the tion of the California gray whale, Eschrichtius 'Rice, D. W., A. A. Wolman, and D. E. rabustus, off the central California coast. west coast of Baja California. The Withrow. 1984. Distribution and numbers (Abstr.j In Proceedings of the 4th Biennial Con­ pregnant females assemble in certain of gray whales on their Baja California winter ference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, shallow, nearly landlocked lagoons grounds. Unpub!. manuscr. Nat!. Mar. December 14-18, 1981, San Franc., Calif., p. Mammal Lab., Nat!' Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, 96. (Available from author, Biology Depart­ and bays where the calves are born 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Bin CI5700, Seat­ ment, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, from early January to mid-February. tle, WA 98115. CA 94928. 8 Marine Fisheries Review Circular mud plume pattern produced by a feeding gray whale in the northern Bering Sea. This behavior is believed to be associated with the whale returning to the location it was just at to resume feeding. Photo by H. W. Braham. calving grounds off the south coast of waters of the Chukchi and Bering Korea, passing Ulsan from late Seas, they feed primarily on benthic November to late January. Until the gammaridean amphipods. Forty­ turn of this century, another migra­ three species have been identified tion route led down the eastern side of from stomachs, but, depending on Japan to winter grounds in the Seto area, one of seven species is usually Inland Sea, Japan (Omura, 1974). dominant (Pontoporeia femorata, P. Nishiwaki and Kasuya (1970) and affinis, Anonyx nugax, Ampelisca Bowen (1974) hypothesized that three macrocephala, A. eschrichti, recent records of gray whales in Japan Nototropis brueggeni, or N. ekmam). involved vagrants of the California In some areas polychaete worms are stock rather than being Korean stock their main food. Incidentally ingested survivors. It is likely that any rem­ benthos include gastropods, asci­ nants of the Korean stock are in such dians, bivalves, priapulids, decapod low numbers (Brownell, 1977) as to be crustaceans, isopods, sipunculids, below a critical population size suffi­ hydrozoans, anthozoans, cumaceans, cient for recovery. This stock holothurians, sponges, and fish (Am­ therefore may be almost extinct. modytes sp.) (Zimushko and Len­ skaya, 1970; Bogoslovskaya et aI., Life History and Ecology 1981). Gray whales may play an im­ portant role in the rate of turnover of Aerial view of a feeding gray whale Feeding surfacing in the northern Bering the epibenthos on their summer Sea, near St. Lawrence Island, Gray whales are predominantly feeding grounds (Nerini and Oliver, Alaska. Note the heart-shaped blow bottom feeders that apparently ingest 1983; Nerini, 1984). and the trailing mud plume caused their food by suction (Ray and Little if any food is consumed dur­ when the whale expells water and debris out the side of its mouth Schevill, 1974); only rarely do they ing the southbound migration off the when surfacing after feeding on feed in midwater or at the surface.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cetacean Occurrence in the Gulf of Alaska from Long-Term Passive
    Marine Biology (2021) 168:72 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03884-1 ORIGINAL PAPER Cetacean occurrence in the Gulf of Alaska from long‑term passive acoustic monitoring Ally Rice1 · Ana Širović1,2 · Jennifer S. Trickey1 · Amanda J. Debich1,3 · Rachel S. Gottlieb1 · Sean M. Wiggins1 · John A. Hildebrand1 · Simone Baumann‑Pickering1 Received: 23 November 2020 / Accepted: 11 April 2021 © The Author(s) 2021 Abstract The Gulf of Alaska is an important habitat for a diverse array of marine mammals, many of which were severely depleted by historical whaling. To study current cetacean distributions in this region, passive acoustic monitoring was used to detect species-specifc call types between 2011 and 2015 at fve locations spanning the continental shelf, slope, and ofshore sea- mounts. Spatial and temporal detection patterns were examined for nine species to compare diferences in behavior and habitat use. Mysticetes showed seasonal increases in calling that indicated possible behavioral shifts between feeding and breeding in blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fn (B. physalus), and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales, and matched known migration timing of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus). Interannual changes in blue and fn whale calling may relate to the marine heat wave that began in 2013 and lasted through the end of the monitoring period. Odontocete detections revealed unique spatial distributions, with killer whales (Orcinus orca) most common on the continental shelf and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) most common on the continental slope, where detections occurred year-round. Beaked whales showed both spatial and temporal separation: Baird’s beaked whale (Berardius bairdii) detections were highest at Quinn Seamount in the spring, Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) at Pratt Seamount in winter, and Stejneger’s (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) on the continental slope in the fall.
    [Show full text]
  • Description of a New Species of Beaked Whale (Berardius) Found in the North Pacific
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Description of a new species of beaked whale (Berardius) found in the North Pacifc Received: 30 November 2018 Tadasu K. Yamada1, Shino Kitamura2,3, Syuiti Abe3, Yuko Tajima1, Ayaka Matsuda3, Accepted: 4 July 2019 James G. Mead4 & Takashi F. Matsuishi3,5 Published: xx xx xxxx Two types of Berardius are recognised by local whalers in Hokkaido, Japan. The frst is the ordinary Baird’s beaked whale, B. bairdii, whereas the other is much smaller and entirely black. Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the black type is one recognisable taxonomic unit within the Berardius clade but is distinct from the two known Berardius species. To determine the characteristics of the black type, we summarised external morphology and skull osteometric data obtained from four individuals, which included three individuals from Hokkaido and one additional individual from the United States National Museum of Natural History collection. The whales difered from all of their congeners by having the following unique characters: a substantially smaller body size of physically mature individuals, proportionately shorter beak, and darker body colour. Thus, we conclude that the whales are a third Berardius species. Beaked whales (Family Ziphiidae, Odontoceti, Cetacea) include the second largest number of species among toothed whale families. Teir preference for deep ocean waters, elusive habits, and long dive capacity1 make beaked whales hard to see and inadequately understood. A total of 22 species are currently recognized in six genera (Berardius, Hyperoodon, Indopacetus, Mesoplodon, Tasmacetus, and Ziphius)2. Te genus Berardius has two species, Baird’s beaked whale Berardius bairdii, found in the North Pacifc and adjacent waters, and Arnoux’s beaked whale B.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bowhead Vs. the Gray Whale in Chukotkan Aboriginal Whaling IGOR I
    ARCTIC VOL. 40, NO. 1 (MARCH 1987) P. 16-32 The Bowhead vs. the Gray Whale in Chukotkan Aboriginal Whaling IGOR I. KRUPNIK’ (Received 5 September 1984; accepted in revised form 22 July 1986) ABSTRACT. Active whaling for large baleen whales -mostly for bowhead (Balaena mysricetus) and gray whales (Eschrichrius robustus)-has been practiced by aborigines on the Chukotka Peninsula since at least the early centuries of the Christian era. Thehistory of native whaling off Chukotka may be divided into four periods according to the hunting methods used and the primary species pursued: ancient or aboriginal (from earliest times up to the second half of the 19th century); rraditional (second half of the 19th century to the1930s); transitional (late 1930s toearly 1960s); and modern (from the early 1960s). The data on bowhead/gray whale bone distribution in theruins of aboriginal coastal sites, available catch data from native settlements from the late 19th century and local oral tradition prove to be valuable sources for identifying specific areas of aboriginal whaling off Chukotka. Until the 1930s, bowhead whales generally predominated in the native catch; gray whales were hunted periodically or locally along restricted parts of the coast. Some 8-10 bowheads and 3-5 gray whales were killed on the average in a “good year”by Chukotka natives during the early 20th century. Around the mid-20th century, however, bowheads were completely replaced by gray whales. On the basis of this experience, the author believes that the substitution of gray whales for bowheads, proposed recently by conservationists for modemAlaska Eskimos, would be unsuccessful.
    [Show full text]
  • Gray Whales - Current Status and Strandings
    San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Tideline Newsletter Archives Gray whales - current status and strandings by Doreen Moser and Frances Gulland As winter begins here in California, so does the annual gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) migration. In November, the whales begin their 5,000-mile journey south­ ward from Alaska’s Bering and Chukchi Seas. During December and January thou­ sands of these whales are seen migrating along our coast. By January, pregnant fe­ males are first to reach the calving lagoons along the West coast of Baja California, Mexico. Soon they are joined by the other adults and juveniles. The females give birth to their calves in the lagoons, usually for the first time when eight years old. In February, the animals begin another 5,000 mile jour­ ney northward returning to Alaska. During the spring months, cow-calf pairs can be seen migrating very close to shore. These 15-foot calves nurse constantly, as they migrate back to the summer feeding grounds. As you stand along the shore, how do you know you are looking at a gray whale? You can usually spot them by their heart-shaped blow. They surface regularly every three to five minutes when migrating, and usually blow three to five times. They swim between 7 and 9 kms per hour. Gray whales are medium sized whales, reaching up to 45 feet in length and weighing 45 tons. As in other baleen whales, females are larger than the males. Gray whales can be distin­ guished from other whales because they lack a dorsal (back) fin.
    [Show full text]
  • Grey Whale Eschrichtius Robustus Eastern North Pacific Population
    COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Grey Whale Eschrichtius robustus Eastern North Pacific Population in Canada SPECIAL CONCERN 2004 COSEWIC COSEPAC COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF COMITÉ SUR LA SITUATION ENDANGERED WILDLIFE DES ESPÈCES EN PÉRIL IN CANADA AU CANADA COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: COSEWIC 2004. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the grey whale (Eastern North Pacific population) Eschrichtius robustus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 31 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). Previous report: Reeves, R.R. and E. Mitchell. 1987. COSEWIC status report on the grey whale (Eastern North Pacific population) Eschrichtius robustus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 36 pp. Production note: COSEWIC acknowledges Volker Deecke for writing the update status report on the grey whale (Eastern North Pacific population) Eschrichtius robustus in Canada. The report was overseen and edited by Andrew Trites, COSEWIC Marine Mammals Species Specialist Subcommittee co-chair. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: (819) 997-4991 / (819) 953-3215 Fax: (819) 994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Ếgalement disponible en français sous le titre Ếvaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur la baleine grise (population du Pacifique nord-est) (Eschrichtius robustus) au Canada – Mise à jour. Cover illustration: Grey whale — Drawing by A.
    [Show full text]
  • Rorqual Whale (Balaenopteridae) Surface Lunge-Feeding Behaviors: Standardized Classification, Repertoire Diversity, and Evolutionary Analyses
    MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 30(4): 1335–1357 (October 2014) © 2014 Society for Marine Mammalogy DOI: 10.1111/mms.12115 Rorqual whale (Balaenopteridae) surface lunge-feeding behaviors: Standardized classification, repertoire diversity, and evolutionary analyses BRIAN W. KOT,1 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606 U.S.A. and Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Inc., 378 Bord de la Mer, Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec G0G 1V0, Canada; RICHARD SEARS, Mingan Island Cetacean Study, Inc., 378 Bord de la Mer, Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec G0G 1V0, Canada; DANY ZBINDEN, Meriscope Marine Research Station, 7 chemin de la Marina, Portneuf-sur-Mer, Quebec G0T 1P0, Canada; ELIZABETH BORDA, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 200 Seawolf Parkway, Galveston, Texas 77553, U.S.A.; MALCOLM S. GORDON, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606, U.S.A. Abstract Rorqual whales (Family: Balaenopteridae) are the world’s largest predators and sometimes feed near or at the sea surface on small schooling prey. Most rorquals cap- ture prey using a behavioral process known as lunge-feeding that, when occurring at the surface, often exposes the mouth and head above the water. New technology has recently improved historical misconceptions about the natural variation in rorqual lunge-feeding behavior yet missing from the literature is a dedicated study of the identification, use, and evolution of these behaviors when used to capture prey at the surface. Here we present results from a long-term investigation of three rorqual whale species (minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata; fin whale, B.
    [Show full text]
  • Humpback Whale
    Whale Conservation and Research related to the OCNMS John Calambokidis Cascadia Research Long-term studies by Cascadia Research Humpback whale Blue whale Gray whale Abundance Abundance Existence of Long-term trends Movements seasonal residents Movements & Tagging work Movements migrations Feeding behavior Abundance N Pacific wide Vocal behavior Site fidelity studies (SPLASH) Strandings Cascadia Photo-ID catalogs and encounters for E N Pacific Start of Photo-ID primary catalog Sightings/I Species effort (unique IDs) Ds Humpback whales 1986 4,663 37,754 Gray whales 1998 1,732 28,433 Blue whales 1986 2,257 14,043 SWFSC/NOAA ship survey June-Sept 2018 transect lines >1,500 IDs & >300 samples collected Small boat effort, sightings, and samples from humpback whales in 2018 Humpback whale Biologically Important Feeding Areas SPLASH multi-strata estimates (Wade et al.) Proportion of humpback whales matching breeding areas Humpback whale trends – California and Oregon Humpback whale trends – Washington – S British Columbia Salish Sea Areas of Columbia River recent expansion of humpback whale occurrence SF Bay S California Bight Increased sighting reports of humpback whales in Salish Sea 600 Sighting reports of humpback whales in the Salish Sea 500 400 300 200 Number of sighitngs 100 0 Year 2018 Effort and humpback sightings 2018 Effort and humpback sightings W N Pacific Population PCFG E N Pacific population Sounders – N Puget Sound Makah whale hunt – May 1999 PCFG abundance 1998-2017 Gray Whale Strandings per Year in Washington Number
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix E Marine Mammal Density Report
    Appendix E Marine Mammal Density Report GULF OF ALASKA NAVY TRAINING ACTIVITIES EIS/OEIS FINAL (MARCH 2011) TABLE OF CONTENTS E MARINE MAMMAL DENSITY AND DEPTH DISTRIBUTION .................................... E-1 E.1 BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW .............................................................................................. E-1 E.1.1 DENSITY ................................................................................................................................. E-1 E.1.2 DEPTH DISTRIBUTION ......................................................................................................... E-6 E.1.3 DENSITY AND DEPTH DISTRIBUTION COMBINED ....................................................... E-6 E.2 MYSTICETES ............................................................................................................................ E-7 E.2.1 BLUE WHALE, BALAENOPTERA MUSCULUS ................................................................... E-7 E.2.2 FIN WHALE, BALAENOPTERA PHYSALUS ......................................................................... E-8 E.2.3 SEI WHALE, BALAENOPTERA BOREALIS........................................................................... E-8 E.2.4 MINKE WHALE, BALAENOPTERA ACUTOROSTRATA ..................................................... E-8 E.2.5 HUMPBACK WHALE, MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE ..................................................... E-9 E.2.6 NORTH PACIFIC RIGHT WHALE, EUBALAENA JAPONICA ............................................ E-9 E.2.7 GRAY WHALE, ESCHRICHTIUS
    [Show full text]
  • Whales: Giants of the Deep March 19, 2016 Through September 5, 2016
    Whales: Giants of the Deep March 19, 2016 through September 5, 2016 Contents Welcome ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Volunteer Logistics ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Reporting for Service ................................................................................................................................ 1 Scheduling ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Logistics for Interpretative Cart ................................................................................................................ 1 Representing the Museum ....................................................................................................................... 2 Logging Your Volunteer Hours .................................................................................................................. 2 Adding Yourself to the Schedule ............................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to Cetaceans ............................................................................................................................ 3 Classification of Cetaceans ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 3: Researching Whales and Dolphins
    Lesson 3: Researching Individual Species -1st grade Page 3-1 Lesson 3: Researching Whales and Dolphins Objective: Students will play a modified game of Bingo to learn information about different types of whales You will need: • Copies of cetacean fact sheets (one copy of each fact sheet) • Bingo sheets (pages 3-3 to 3-32; one per student) and bingo markers (you could use small foam pieces or paper cutouts—anything that the students can use to cover the squares on their bingo sheets; if bingo sheets are laminated, dry erase markers or washable markers could be used. A sheet of “bingo chips” is provided on page 3-33; this can be copied and given to students to cut out and use to cover the squares on their bingo sheets) • Bingo call sheet (page 3-34 and/or page 3-35) • Optional: PowerPoint bingo presentation (there are two versions, corresponding to call sheets 1 and 2) and ability to project this. • Optional: “Only One Ocean” CD (by the Banana Slug String Band) and ability to play the “Cetacea” song. Vocabulary: Cetacea—the group of animals that includes whales and dolphins. Baleen—instead of teeth, some whales have baleen which hangs down in their mouths and lets them catch tiny animals to eat. Beak—the pointy part of a whale or dolphin’s head (usually where its mouth is). Callosities—rough patches of skin on a right whale’s head. These are usually white in color. Cookie cutter shark—a small shark that lives in deep water. It takes circle-shaped bites out of whales’ and dolphins’ skin.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Impacts on Transocean Dispersal and Habitat in Gray Whales from the Pleistocene to 2100
    Molecular Ecology (2015) 24, 1510–1522 doi: 10.1111/mec.13121 Climate impacts on transocean dispersal and habitat in gray whales from the Pleistocene to 2100 S. ELIZABETH ALTER,*†‡ MATTHIAS MEYER,§ KLAAS POST,¶ PAUL CZECHOWSKI,‡** PETER GRAVLUND,†† CORK GAINES,‡ HOWARD C. ROSENBAUM,‡‡‡ KRISTIN KASCHNER,§§ SAMUEL T. TURVEY,¶¶ JOHANNES VAN DER PLICHT,***††† BETH SHAPIRO‡‡‡ and MICHAEL HOFREITER§§§§¶¶¶ *Department of Biology, York College, City University of New York, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica NY 11415, USA, †CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA, ‡American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, 79th St and Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA, §Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig D-04103, Germany, ¶Natural History Museum Rotterdam, Westzeedijk 345, Rotterdam 3015 AA, the Netherlands, **School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia, ††Den Bla Planet, National Aquarium Denmark, Jacob Fortlingsvej 1, Kastrup 2770, Denmark, ‡‡Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program-Ocean Giants Program, 185th St and Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10460, USA, §§Department of Biometry & Environmental Systems Analysis, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, Freiburg 79106, Germany, ¶¶Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY, UK, ***Center for Isotope Research, Groningen University, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands, †††Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, PO Box 9515, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands, ‡‡‡Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA, §§§Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK, ¶¶¶Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str.
    [Show full text]
  • Retrophylogenomics in Rorquals Indicate Large Ancestral Population Sizes and a Rapid Radiation Lammers Et Al
    Retrophylogenomics in rorquals indicate large ancestral population sizes and a rapid radiation Lammers et al. Lammers et al. Mobile DNA (2019) 10:5 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-018-0143-2 Lammers et al. Mobile DNA (2019) 10:5 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-018-0143-2 RESEARCH Open Access Retrophylogenomics in rorquals indicate large ancestral population sizes and a rapid radiation Fritjof Lammers1,2,3, Moritz Blumer1, Cornelia Rücklé1 and Maria A. Nilsson1,2* Abstract Background: Baleen whales (Mysticeti) are the largest animals on earth and their evolutionary history has been studied in detail, but some relationships still remain contentious. In particular, reconstructing the phylogenetic position of the gray whales (Eschrichtiidae) has been complicated by evolutionary processes such as gene flow and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). Here, whole-genome sequencing data of the extant baleen whale radiation allowed us to identify transposable element (TE) insertions in order to perform phylogenomic analyses and measure germline insertion rates of TEs. Baleen whales exhibit the slowest nucleotide substitution rate among mammals, hence we additionally examined the evolutionary insertion rates of TE insertions across the genomes. Results: In eleven whole-genome sequences representing the extant radiation of baleen whales, we identified 91,859 CHR-SINE insertions that were used to reconstruct the phylogeny with different approaches as well as perform evolutionary network analyses and a quantification of conflicting phylogenetic signals. Our results indicate that the radiation of rorquals and gray whales might not be bifurcating. The morphologically derived gray whales are placed inside the rorqual group, as the sister-species to humpback and fin whales.
    [Show full text]