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53 results for “right whale”
A right whale (Mysticeti, Balaenidae) from the Pleistocene of Taiwan
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Current patterns of biological distribution result from the deep past. Of particular interest, some closely related species appear at high latitudes of both hemispheres, but not in between, a pattern known as antitropical distribution. However, the timing, pathway, and drivers of antitropical distributions remain mostly unknown. Here we describe a new fossil, a left tympanic bulla (part of the ear bones), from the Middle/Late Pleistocene (0.78–0.01 mya, but not excluding the possibility of Holocene in age, as the specimen was dredged from the sea bottom and the geological horizon remains uncertain) of Taiwan. The tympanic bulla is diagnostic in baleen whales, and this specimen shows morphological features that are identical to extant <em>Eubalaena</em>, including: relatively large size (the anteroposterior length is 117 mm); rectangular outline in medial view; short anterior lobe, judging from the remaining of the lateral furrow; squared anterior margin; prominent transverse crease on the involucrum; transversely compressed in anterior view; well-developed and rounded outer lip; and parallel involucral and main ridges. Although incomplete, the morphological characters and overall similarity to extant <em>Eubalaena</em> allow a reliable taxonomic assignment to <em>Eubalaena</em> sp. The occurrence of a Pleistocene <em>Eubalaena</em> on the southern margin of the western North Pacific is the first balaenid fossil evidence indicative of the biotic interchange between two hemispheres leading to the origin of antitropical distribution in the Pleistocene; alternatively, this specimen might merely represent an extra-limital record of the North Pacific <em>Eubalaena</em>. Furthermore, this find suggests that the <em>Eubalaena</em> interchange, being one of the largest species displaying antitropical distribution pairs in the history of life, likely took place along the western Pacific. Notably, this does not preclude the <em>Eubalaena</em> interchange from other routes, such as the eastern Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean, and future finds should test the scenario for the biotic interchange between Northern and Southern Hemispheres of <em>Eubalaena</em>.</p>
Genetic diversity and connectivity of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) found in the Brazil and Chile–Peru wintering grounds and the South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur) feeding ground
<p></p><p>As species recover from exploitation, continued assessments of connectivity and population structure are warranted to provide information for conservation and management. This is particularly true in species with high dispersal capacity, such as migratory whales, where patterns of connectivity could change rapidly. Here we build on a previous long-term, large-scale collaboration on southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) to combine new (nnew) and published (npub) mitochondrial (mtDNA) and microsatellite genetic data from all major wintering grounds and, uniquely, the South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur: SG) feeding grounds. Specifically, we include data from Argentina (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 208/46), Brazil (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 50/50), South Africa (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 66/77, npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 350/47), Chile–Peru (nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 1/1), the Indo-Pacific (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 769/126), and SG (npub mtDNA/microsatellite = 8/0, nnew mtDNA/microsatellite = 3/11) to investigate the position of previously unstudied habitats in the migratory network: Brazil, SG, and Chile–Peru. These new genetic data show connectivity between Brazil and Argentina, exemplified by weak genetic differentiation and the movement of 1 genetically identified individual between the South American grounds. The single sample from Chile–Peru had an mtDNA haplotype previously only observed in the Indo-Pacific and had a nuclear genotype that appeared admixed between the Indo-Pacific and South Atlantic, based on genetic clustering and assignment algorithms. The SG samples were clearly South Atlantic and were more similar to the South American than the South African wintering grounds. This study highlights how international collaborations are critical to provide context for emerging or recovering regions, like the SG feeding ground, as well as those that remain critically endangered, such as Chile–Peru.</p><p></p>
Figure 3 in North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) recorded in the northeastern Pacific Ocean in 2013
Figure 3. Hourly presence of the North Pacific right whale up- (hatched box) and down- (black box) calls at Quinn Seamount. Vertical gray shading represents nighttime at this site, and horizontal gray shading marks periods with no recording effort.
Figure 2 in North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) recorded in the northeastern Pacific Ocean in 2013
Figure 2. Spectrograms of North Pacific right whale up-calls recorded at Quinault (left), and Quinn Seamount (right) in 2013 (FFT with 1 Hz frequency resolution, Hann window and 90 % overlap).
Fig. 2 in A Late Miocene potential neobalaenine mandible from Argentina sheds light on the origins of the living pygmy right whale
Fig. 2. Left mandible of a fossil neobalaenine baleen whale, gen. et. sp. indet. (MPEF-PV2572) from Punta Ninfas, Chubut Province, Argentina; Puerto Madryn Formation (Late Miocene), showing the mandibular condyle as preserved in the field prior to excavation.
Fig. 1 in A Late Miocene potential neobalaenine mandible from Argentina sheds light on the origins of the living pygmy right whale
Fig. 1. Left mandible of a fossil neobalaenine baleen whale, gen. et sp. indet. (MPEF-PV2572) from Punta Ninfas Chubut Province, Argentina; Puerto Madryn Formation (Late Miocene). A. Lateral view. B. Medial view. C. Medial view of the posterior region of the mandible showing the morphology of the coronoid process. D. Dorsal view of the mandible showing the lateral curvature of the body. E. Anteromedial view of the mandible showing the medial torsion of the anteriormost portion of the body.
Supporting Data for: The genome of the pygmy right whale illuminates the evolution of rorquals
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk108424880"></a><em><u><span>Background</span></u></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>Baleen whales are a clade of gigantic and highly specialized marine mammals. Their genomes have been used to investigate their complex evolutionary history and to decipher the molecular mechanisms that allowed them to reach these dimensions. However, many unanswered questions remain, especially about the early radiation of rorquals and how cancer resistance interplays with their huge number of cells. The pygmy right whale is the smallest and most elusive among the baleen whales. It reaches only a fraction of the body length compared to its relatives and it is the only living member of an otherwise extinct family. This placement makes the pygmy right whale genome an interesting target to update the complex phylogenetic past of baleen whales, because it splits up an otherwise long branch that leads to the radiation of rorquals. Apart from that, genomic data of this species might help to investigate cancer resistance in large whales, since these mechanisms are not as important for the pygmy right whale as in other giant rorquals and right whales. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><em><u><span>Results</span></u></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>Here, we present a first <em>de novo</em> genome of the species and test its potential in phylogenomics and cancer research. To do so, we constructed a multi-species coalescent tree from fragments of a whole-genome alignment and quantified the amount of introgression in the early evolution of rorquals. Furthermore, a genome wide comparison of selection rates between large and small bodied baleen whales revealed a small set of conserved candidate genes with potential connections to cancer resistance. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><em><u><span>Conclusions</span></u></em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>Our results suggest that the evolution of rorquals is best described as a hard polytomy with a rapid radiation and high levels of introgression. The lack of shared positive selected genes between different large-bodied whale species supports a previously proposed convergent evolution of gigantism and hence cancer resistance in baleen whales. </span></span></p>
Supporting Data for: The genome of the pygmy right whale illuminates the evolution of rorquals
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Data from: Unobserved individual and population level impacts of fishing gear entanglements on North Atlantic right whales
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Genetic diversity and connectivity of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) found in the Brazil and Chile–Peru wintering grounds and the South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur) feeding ground
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Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics unique microsatellite profiles of southern right whales
<p>Historical exploitation, and a combination of current anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change and habitat degradation, impact the population dynamics of marine mammalian megafauna. Right whales (<em>Eubalaena </em>spp.) are large cetaceans recovering from hunting, whose reproductive and population growth rate appear to be impacted by climate change. We apply noninvasive genetic methods to monitor southern right whale (<em>E. australis</em>, SRW) and test the application of noninvasive genetics to minimise the observer effects on the population. Our aim is to describe population structure, and interdecadal and interannual changes to assess species status in the Great Acceleration period of Anthropocene. As a basis for population genetic analyses, we collected samples from sloughed skin during post-migration epidermal moult. Considering the exploration-exploitation dilemma, we collaborated with whale-watching companies, as part of a citizen science approach and to reduce ad hoc logistic operations and biopsy equipment. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and population genetic tools. We report for the first time the genetic composition and differentiation of the Namibian portion of the range. Population genetic parameters suggest that South Africa hosts the largest population. This corresponds with higher estimates of current gene flow from Africa compared to older samples. We have observed considerable interannual variation in population density at the breeding ground and an interdecadal shift in genetic variability, evidenced by an increase in the point estimate inbreeding. Clustering analyses confirmed differentiation between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, presumably originating during the ice ages. We show that population monitoring of large whales, essential for their conservation management, is feasible using noninvasive sampling within non-scientific platforms. Observed patterns are concurrent to changes of movement ecology and decline in reproductive success of the South African population, probably reflecting a large-scale restructuring of pelagic marine food webs.</p>
Joint species distribution modeling reveals a changing prey landscape for North Pacific right whales on the Bering shelf
<p>The eastern North Pacific right whale (NPRW) is the most endangered population of whale and has been observed north of its core feeding ground in recent years with low sea ice extent. Sea ice and water temperature are important drivers for zooplankton dynamics within the whale's core feeding ground in the southeastern Bering Sea, seasonally forming stable fronts along the shelf that give rise to distinct zooplankton communities. A northward shift in NPRW distribution driven by changing distribution of prey resources could put this species at increased risk of entanglement and vessel strikes. We modeled the abundance of NPRW prey, <em>Calanus glacialis</em>, <em>Neocalanus</em>, and <em>Thysanoessa</em> species, using a dynamic biophysical food web model of nine zooplankton guilds in the Bering shelf zooplankton community during a period of warming (2006–2016). This model is unique from prior zooplankton studies from the region in that it includes density dependence, thereby allowing us to ask whether species interactions influence zooplankton dynamics. Modeling confirmed the importance of sea ice and ocean temperature to zooplankton dynamics in the region. Density-independent growth drove community dynamics while dependent factors were comparatively minimal. Overall, <em>Calanus</em> responded to environmental terms, with the strength and direction of response driven by copepodite stage. <em>Neocalanus</em> and <em>Thysanoessa</em> responses were weaker, likely due to their primary occurrence on the outer shelf. We also modeled the steady-state (equilibrium) abundance of <em>Calanus</em> in conditions with and without wind gusts to test whether advection of outer shelf species might disrupt steady-state dynamics of <em>Calanus</em> abundance; results did not support disruption. Given the annual fall sampling design, we interpret our results as follows: low ice-extent winters induced stronger spring winds and weakened fronts on the shelf, thereby advecting some outer shelf species into the study region; increased development rates in these warm conditions influenced the proportion of <em>C. glacialis</em> copepodite stages over the season. Residual correlation suggests missing drivers, possibly predators and phytoplankton bloom composition. Given the continued loss of sea ice in the region and projected continued warming, our findings suggest that <em>C. glacialis</em> will move northward, and thus, whales may move northward to continue targeting them.</p>
Data from: The end of an era? Trends in abundance and reproduction of Australian southern right whales (<em>Eubalaena australis</em>) suggest failure to re-establish pre-whaling population size
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Joint species distribution modeling reveals a changing prey landscape for North Pacific right whales on the Bering shelf
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Population changes in a whale breeding ground revealed by citizen science noninvasive genetics unique microsatellite profiles of southern right whales
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Data from: Ancestor-descendant relationships in evolution: origin of the extant pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata
Ancestor–descendant relationships (ADRs), involving descent with modification, are the fundamental concept in evolution, but are usually difficult to recognize. We examined the cladistic relationship between the only reported fossil pygmy right whale, Miocaperea pulchra, and its sole living relative, the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata, the latter represented by both adult and juvenile specimens. Miocaperea is phylogenetically bracketed between juvenile and adult Caperea marginata in morphologically based analyses, thus suggesting a possible ADR—the first so far identified within baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti). The Miocaperea–Caperea lineage may show long-term morphological stasis and, in turn, punctuated equilibrium.
On following pages: 2. North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica); 3. Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis); 4. Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus). in Balaenidae
On following pages: 2. North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica); 3. Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis); 4. Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus).
Transverse section of a whale earplug showing the alternating light and dark laminae. Stephen Trumble, left, and Sascha Usenko, right, with a jar containing whale earplugs in 10 percent formalin at the Natural History Museum in London. Photographs: Sascha Usenko. in The Evolution of Natural History Collections
Transverse section of a whale earplug showing the alternating light and dark laminae. Stephen Trumble, left, and Sascha Usenko, right, with a jar containing whale earplugs in 10 percent formalin at the Natural History Museum in London. Photographs: Sascha Usenko.
Lonati (2024) - Remote sensing to measure the physiology and foraging ecology of North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada
<h1>Supplementary Material A1.S4 Videos</h1> <h2>Selection of pixels and frames for evaluating intranasal heat</h2> <p>Video A1.S4.1. Time-aligned visible-spectrum (RGB) and infrared thermography (IRT) videos with plot of maximum corrected sensor intensity over time for a normal respiratory cycle from North Atlantic right whale (NARW) Catalog ID #4129 (aligns with Figure A1.S4.1).</p> <p><br>Video A1.S4.2. Time-aligned RGB and IRT videos with plot of maximum corrected sensor intensity over time for a normal respiratory cycle from NARW Catalog ID #3845 (aligns with Figure A1.S4.2).</p> <p><br>Video A1.S4.3. Time-aligned RGB and IRT videos with plot of maximum corrected sensor intensity over time for an anomalous respiratory cycle from NARW Catalog ID #4129, where the exhaled respiratory vapor lingers over the blowholes, obscuring and reducing intranasal heat received by the IRT sensor.</p> <p><br>Video A1.S4.4. Time-aligned RGB and IRT videos with plot of maximum corrected sensor intensity over time for an anomalous respiratory cycle from NARW Catalog ID #3845, where exhaled respiratory vapor and a small wave obscure and reduce intranasal heat received by the IRT sensor.</p> <p><br>Video A1.S4.5. Time-aligned RGB and IRT videos with plot of maximum corrected sensor intensity over time for an anomalous respiratory cycle from the 2021 calf of NARW Catalog ID #4040, where the exhaled respiratory vapor lingers over the blowholes and a non-uniformity correction occurs mid-way through the respiration.</p> <h3><em>G. Lonati - PhD Thesis - University of New Brunswick Saint John</em></h3>
Data from: Paternity assignment and demographic closure in the New Zealand southern right whale
The identification and characterisation of reproductively isolated subpopulations or 'stocks' is essential for effective conservation and management decisions. This can be difficult in vagile marine species like marine mammals. We used paternity assignment and 'gametic recapture' to examine the reproductive autonomy of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on their New Zealand (NZ) calving grounds. We derived DNA profiles for 34 mother-calf pairs from skin biopsy samples, using sex-specific markers, 13 microsatellite loci and mtDNA haplotypes. We constructed DNA profiles for 314 adult males, representing 30% of the census male abundance of the NZ stock, previously estimated from genotypic mark-recapture modelling to be 1085 (95% CL 855, 1416). Under the hypothesis of demographic closure and the assumption of equal reproductive success among males, we predict: (1) the proportion of paternities assigned will reflect the proportion of the male population sampled and (2) the gametic mark-recapture (GMR) estimate of male abundance will be equivalent to the census male estimate for the NZ stock. Consistent with these predictions, we found that the proportion of assigned paternities equalled the proportion of the census male population size sampled. Using the sample of males as the initial capture, and paternity assignment as the recapture, the GMR estimate of male abundance was 1001 (95% CL 542, 1469), similar to the male census estimate. These findings suggest that right whales returning to the NZ calving ground are reproductively autonomous on a generational timescale, as well as isolated by maternal fidelity on an evolutionary timescale, from others in the Indo-Pacific region.
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