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Sremba AL, Martin AR, Wilson P, Cypriano-Souza AL, Buss DL, Hart T, Engel MH, Bonatto SL, Rosenbaum H, Collins T, Olavarría C, Archer FI, Steel D, Jackson JA, Baker CS. Diversity of mitochondrial DNA in 3 species of great whales before and after modern whaling. J Hered 2023; 114:587-597. [PMID: 37578073 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The 20th century commercial whaling industry severely reduced populations of great whales throughout the Southern Hemisphere. The effect of this exploitation on genetic diversity and population structure remains largely undescribed. Here, we compare pre- and post-whaling diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences for 3 great whales in the South Atlantic, such as the blue, humpback, and fin whale. Pre-whaling diversity is described from mtDNA extracted from bones collected near abandoned whaling stations, primarily from the South Atlantic island of South Georgia. These bones are known to represent the first stage of 20th century whaling and thus pre-whaling diversity of these populations. Post-whaling diversity is described from previously published studies reporting large-scale sampling of living whales in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite relatively high levels of surviving genetic diversity in the post-whaling populations, we found evidence of a probable loss of mtDNA lineages in all 3 species. This is evidenced by the detection of a large number of haplotypes found in the pre-whaling samples that are not present in the post-whaling samples. A rarefaction analysis further supports a loss of haplotypes in the South Atlantic humpback and Antarctic blue whale populations. The bones from former whaling stations in the South Atlantic represent a remarkable molecular archive for further investigation of the decline and ongoing recovery in the great whales of the Southern Hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela L Sremba
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resource Studies, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
| | - Anthony R Martin
- Centre for Remote Environments, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ana Lúcia Cypriano-Souza
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Projeto Baleia Jubarte/Instituto Baleia Jubarte Caravelas, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | - Danielle L Buss
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Hart
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marcia H Engel
- Projeto Baleia Jubarte/Instituto Baleia Jubarte Caravelas, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Howard Rosenbaum
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Ocean Giants Program, Bronx, NY, United States
- American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tim Collins
- American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carlos Olavarría
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
| | | | - Debbie Steel
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
| | | | - C Scott Baker
- Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, United States
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Gravena W, Hrbek T, da Silva VMF, Farias IP. Boto ( Inia geoffrensis-Cetacea: Iniidae) aggregations in two provisioning sites in the lower Negro River-Amazonas, Brazil: are they related? PeerJ 2019; 7:e6692. [PMID: 31024759 PMCID: PMC6475133 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Negro River currently has seven floating houses where tourists can feed and interact with botos, each with its own history of how these aggregations were formed. Some keepers say these groups are familial, even reporting individuals being born into the group. However, behavioral studies have shown that botos are solitary, only forming groups at feeding areas and during the mating season. In the present study we used 12 microsatellite and molecular sex markers to characterize relationships within and between two boto aggregations (ten and seven botos each) in the lower Negro River. Molecular sexing revealed that all botos sampled from both aggregations were males. This may be explained by habitat preference, as male botos are primarily found in the main channels of large rivers, whereas females prefer more protected areas, such as flooded forests and its channels and lakes. Most of the animals were unrelated within each aggregation, demonstrating that these aggregations are not normally formed due to kinship bonds, but are exclusively for feeding, as botos learn that these places provide easy access to food. This study provides important information that helps us understand how human interaction is affecting the social structure and behavior of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleska Gravena
- Instituto de Saúde e Biotecnologia (ISB), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Coari, Amazonas, Brazil
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (LMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Tomas Hrbek
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Vera Maria Ferreira da Silva
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (LMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Izeni Pires Farias
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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3
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Cypriano-Souza AL, da Silva TF, Engel MH, Bonatto SL. Effective population size and the genetic consequences of commercial whaling on the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Genet Mol Biol 2018; 41:253-262. [PMID: 29668011 PMCID: PMC5913722 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2017-0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Genotypes of 10 microsatellite loci of 420 humpback whales from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean population were used to estimate for the first time its contemporary effective (Ne) and census (Nc) population sizes and to test the genetic effect of commercial whaling. The results are in agreement with our previous studies that found high genetic diversity for this breeding population. Using an approximate Bayesian computation approach, the scenario of constant Ne was significantly supported over scenarios with moderate to strong size changes during the commercial whaling period. The previous generation Nc (Ne multiplied by 3.6), which should corresponds to the years between around 1980 and 1990, was estimated between ~2,600 and 6,800 whales (point estimate ~4,000), and is broadly compatible with the recent abundance surveys extrapolated to the past using a growth rate of 7.4% per annum. The long-term Nc in the constant scenario (point estimate ~15,000) was broadly compatible (considering the confidence interval) with pre-whaling catch records estimates (point estimate ~25,000). Overall, our results shown that the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean humpback whale population is genetically very diverse and resisted well to the strong population reduction during commercial whaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lúcia Cypriano-Souza
- Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Projeto Baleia Jubarte/Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | - Tiago Ferraz da Silva
- Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Márcia H Engel
- Projeto Baleia Jubarte/Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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4
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Temporal stability and mixed-stock analyses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the nearshore waters of the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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5
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Rosenbaum HC, Kershaw F, Mendez M, Pomilla C, Leslie MS, Findlay KP, Best PB, Collins T, Vely M, Engel MH, Baldwin R, Minton G, Meÿer M, Flórez-González L, Poole MM, Hauser N, Garrigue C, Brasseur M, Bannister J, Anderson M, Olavarría C, Baker CS. First circumglobal assessment of Southern Hemisphere humpback whale mitochondrial genetic variation and implications for management. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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6
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Kershaw F, Carvalho I, Loo J, Pomilla C, Best PB, Findlay KP, Cerchio S, Collins T, Engel MH, Minton G, Ersts P, Barendse J, Kotze PGH, Razafindrakoto Y, Ngouessono S, Meÿer M, Thornton M, Rosenbaum HC. Multiple processes drive genetic structure of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations across spatial scales. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:977-994. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francine Kershaw
- Columbia University; 116th Street and Broadway New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Inês Carvalho
- Population and Conservation Genetics Group; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; Rua da Quinta Grande, 6 2780-156 Oeiras Portugal
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Jacqueline Loo
- Department of Biology; New York University; 100 Washington Square New York NY 10012 USA
| | - Cristina Pomilla
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Hinxton Cambridge CB10 1SA UK
| | - Peter B. Best
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Ken P. Findlay
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Salvatore Cerchio
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
| | - Tim Collins
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
- Environment Society of Oman; P.O. Box 3955 PC 112 Ruwi Sultanate of Oman
| | - Marcia H. Engel
- Humpback Whale Project/Humpback Whale Institute; Rua Barão do Rio Branco, 125 Caravelas Bahia Brazil
| | - Gianna Minton
- Environment Society of Oman; P.O. Box 3955 PC 112 Ruwi Sultanate of Oman
| | - Peter Ersts
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
| | - Jaco Barendse
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - P. G. H. Kotze
- Department of Environmental Affairs; Branch Oceans and Coasts; Private Bag x2, Roggebaai 8012 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Yvette Razafindrakoto
- Wildlife Conservation Society-Madagascar Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
| | - Solange Ngouessono
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie 4 BP 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | - Michael Meÿer
- Department of Environmental Affairs; Branch Oceans and Coasts; Private Bag x2, Roggebaai 8012 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Meredith Thornton
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Howard C. Rosenbaum
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
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7
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Herman LM. The multiple functions of male song within the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mating system: review, evaluation, and synthesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1795-1818. [PMID: 28677337 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are seasonal breeders, annually migrating from high-latitude summer feeding grounds to low-latitude winter breeding grounds. The social matrix on the winter grounds is a loose network of interacting individuals and groups and notably includes lone males that produce long bouts of complex song that collectively yield an asynchronous chorus. Occasionally, a male will sing while accompanying other whales. Despite a wealth of knowledge about the social matrix, the full characterization of the mating system remains unresolved, without any firm consensus, as does the function of song within that system. Here, I consider and critically analyse three proposed functions of song that have received the most attention in the literature: female attraction to individual singers, determining or facilitating male-male interactions, and attracting females to a male aggregation within the context of a lekking system. Female attraction suggests that humpback song is an advertisement and invitation to females, but field observations and song playback studies reveal that female visits to individual singers are virtually absent. Other observations suggest instead that females might convey their presence to singers (or to other males) through the percussive sounds of flipper or tail slapping or possibly through vocalizations. There is some evidence for male-male interactions, both dominance and affiliative: visits to singers are almost always other lone males not singing at that time. The joiner may be seeking a coalition with the singer to engage cooperatively in attempts to obtain females, or may be seeking to disrupt the song or to affirm his dominance. Some observations support one or the other intent. However, other observations, in part based on the brevity of most pairings, suggest that the joiner is prospecting, seeking to determine whether the singer is accompanying a female, and if not soon departs. In the lekking hypothesis, the aggregation of vocalizing males on a winter ground and the visits there by non-maternal females apparently for mating meet the fundamental definition of a lekking system and its role though communal display in attracting females to the aggregation, although not to an individual singer. Communal singing is viewed as a form of by-product mutualism in which individuals benefit one another as incidental consequences of their own selfish actions. Possibly, communal singing may also act to stimulate female receptivity. Thus, there are both limitations and merit in all three proposals. Full consideration of song as serving multiple functions is therefore necessary to understand its role in the mating system and the forces acting on the evolution of song. I suggest that song may be the prime vector recruiting colonists to new winter grounds pioneered by vagrant males as population pressures increase or as former winter grounds become unavailable or undesirable, with such instances documented relatively recently. Speculatively, song may have evolved historically as an aggregating call during the dynamic ocean conditions and resulting habitat uncertainties in the late Miocene-early Pliocene epochs when Megaptera began to proliferate. Early song may have been comprised of simpler precursor sounds that through natural selection and ritualization evolved into complex song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis M Herman
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa and The Dolphin Institute
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8
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Wedekin LL, Rossi-Santos MR, Baracho C, Cypriano-Souza AL, Simões-Lopes PC. Cetacean records along a coastal-offshore gradient in the Vitória-Trindade Chain, western South Atlantic Ocean. BRAZ J BIOL 2014; 74:137-44. [PMID: 25055095 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.21812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oceanic waters are difficult to assess, and there are many gaps in knowledge regarding cetacean occurrence. To fill some of these gaps, this article provides important cetacean records obtained in the winter of 2010 during a dedicated expedition to collect visual and acoustic information in the Vitória-Trindade seamounts. We observed 19 groups of cetaceans along a 1300-km search trajectory, with six species being identified: the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae, N = 9 groups), the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus, N = 1), the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis, N = 1), the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis, N = 1), the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, N = 2), and the killer whale (Orcinus orca, N = 1). Most humpback whale groups (N = 7; 78%) were observed in the Vitória-Trindade seamounts, especially the mounts close to the Abrolhos Bank. Only one lone humpback whale was observed near Trindade Island after a search effort encompassing more than 520 km. From a total of 28 acoustic stations, humpback whale songs were only detected near the seamounts close to the Abrolhos Bank, where most groups of this species were visually detected (including a competitive group and groups with calves). The presence of humpback whales at the Trindade Island and surroundings is most likely occasional, with few sightings and low density. Finally, we observed a significant number of humpback whales along the seamounts close to the Abrolhos Bank, which may function as a breeding habitat for this species. We also added important records regarding the occurrence of cetaceans in these mounts and in the Western South Atlantic, including the endangered fin whale.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L Wedekin
- Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | | | - C Baracho
- Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas, BA, Brazil
| | | | - P C Simões-Lopes
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos ? LAMAQ, Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
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9
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Torres-Florez JP, Hucke-Gaete R, Rosenbaum H, Figueroa CC. High genetic diversity in a small population: the case of Chilean blue whales. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:1398-412. [PMID: 24834336 PMCID: PMC4020699 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally assumed that species with low population sizes have lower genetic diversities than larger populations and vice versa. However, this would not be the case for long-lived species with long generation times, and which populations have declined due to anthropogenic effects, such as the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). This species was intensively decimated globally to near extinction during the 20th century. Along the Chilean coast, it is estimated that at least 4288 blue whales were hunted from an apparently pre-exploitation population size (k) of a maximum of 6200 individuals (Southeastern Pacific). Thus, here, we describe the mtDNA (control region) and nDNA (microsatellites) diversities of the Chilean blue whale aggregation site in order to verify the expectation of low genetic diversity in small populations. We then compare our findings with other blue whale aggregations in the Southern Hemisphere. Interestingly, although the estimated population size is small compared with the pre-whaling era, there is still considerable genetic diversity, even after the population crash, both in mitochondrial (N = 46) and nuclear (N = 52) markers (Hd = 0.890 and Ho = 0.692, respectively). Our results suggest that this diversity could be a consequence of the long generation times and the relatively short period of time elapsed since the end of whaling, which has been observed in other heavily-exploited whale populations. The genetic variability of blue whales on their southern Chile feeding grounds was similar to that found in other Southern Hemisphere blue whale feeding grounds. Our phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA haplotypes does not show extensive differentiation of populations among Southern Hemisphere blue whale feeding grounds. The present study suggests that although levels of genetic diversity are frequently used as estimators of population health, these parameters depend on the biology of the species and should be taken into account in a monitoring framework study to obtain a more complete picture of the conservation status of a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Torres-Florez
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de ChileIndependencia 641, Valdivia, Chile
- Centro Ballena Azul/Blue whale CenterIndependencia 641, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete
- Centro Ballena Azul/Blue whale CenterIndependencia 641, Valdivia, Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de ChileIndependencia 641, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Howard Rosenbaum
- Ocean Giants Program, Wildlife Conservation Society2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10460, USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural HistoryCentral Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024-5192, USA
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10
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Garcia GD, Gregoracci GB, Santos EDO, Meirelles PM, Silva GGZ, Edwards R, Sawabe T, Gotoh K, Nakamura S, Iida T, de Moura RL, Thompson FL. Metagenomic analysis of healthy and white plague-affected Mussismilia braziliensis corals. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 65:1076-86. [PMID: 23314124 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-012-0161-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Coral health is under threat throughout the world due to regional and global stressors. White plague disease (WP) is one of the most important threats affecting the major reef builder of the Abrolhos Bank in Brazil, the endemic coral Mussismilia braziliensis. We performed a metagenomic analysis of healthy and WP-affected M. braziliensis in order to determine the types of microbes associated with this coral species. We also optimized a protocol for DNA extraction from coral tissues. Our taxonomic analysis revealed Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinomycetes as the main groups in all healthy and WP-affected corals. Vibrionales, members of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides complex, Rickettsiales, and Neisseriales were more abundant in the WP-affected corals. Diseased corals also had more eukaryotic metagenomic sequences identified as Alveolata and Apicomplexa. Our results suggest that WP disease in M. braziliensis is caused by a polymicrobial consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizele D Garcia
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Colbeck GJ, Duchesne P, Postma LD, Lesage V, Hammill MO, Turgeon J. Groups of related belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) travel together during their seasonal migrations in and around Hudson Bay. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 280:20122552. [PMID: 23222451 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social structure involving long-term associations with relatives should facilitate the learning of complex behaviours such as long-distance migration. In and around Hudson Bay (Canada), three stocks of beluga whales form a panmictic unit, but have different migratory behaviours associated with different summering areas. We analysed genetic variation at 13 microsatellite loci among 1524 belugas, to test hypotheses about social structure in belugas. We found significant proportions of mother-offspring pairs throughout the migratory cycle, but average relatedness extended beyond close kinship only during migration. Average relatedness was significantly above random expectations for pairs caught at the same site but on different days or months of a year, suggesting that belugas maintain associations with a network of relatives during migration. Pairs involving a female (female-female or male-female) were on average more related than pairs of males, and males seemed to disperse from their matrilineal group to associate with other mature males. Altogether, our results indicate that relatives other than strictly parents, and especially females, play a role in maintaining a social structure that could facilitate the learning of migration routes. Cultural conservatism may limit contributions from nearby summer stocks to endangered stocks such as the Eastern Hudson Bay beluga.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel J Colbeck
- Département de biologie, Pavillon Vachon, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada
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12
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Groch KR, Marcondes MCC, Colosio AC, Catão-Dias JL. Skeletal abnormalities in humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae stranded in the Brazilian breeding ground. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2012; 101:145-158. [PMID: 23135142 DOI: 10.3354/dao02518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal tissues of 49 humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae that stranded between 2002 and 2011 along the Abrolhos Bank seashore and its adjacent waters in Brazil were studied. Twelve (24.5%) animals presented pathological changes in one or more bones. Degenerative changes and developmental malformations were most frequent (10.2% each), followed by inflammatory/infectious and traumatic lesions (8.2% each). Infectious diseases led to severe lesions of the caudal vertebrae of 2 whales. In one of these individuals, the lesions involved 6 caudal vertebrae, leading to ankylosis of 3 vertebrae. Degenerative changes were observed in the vertebral columns of 3 animals, involving the joints of 13 ribs of 1 individual, and in the humerus of 1 whale. Traumatic lesions, such as osseous callus in the ribs, were observed in 4 animals. In 1 whale, the rib showed severe osteomyelitis, possibly resulting from the infection of multiple fractures. Developmental abnormalities such as spina bifida on 3 cervical vertebrae of 1 whale, fusion of spinal processes on thoracic vertebrae of 1 individual and fusion of the first 2 ribs unilaterally or bilaterally in 4 animals were found. Chronic infectious conditions found in the axial skeleton may have restrained spinal mobility and had detrimental effects on the general health of the animals, contributing to stranding and death. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic study on skeletal lesions in stranded humpback whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kátia R Groch
- Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas, Bahia 45900-000, Brazil.
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13
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Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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de OLIVEIRA LR, LOIZAGA DE CASTRO R, CÁRDENAS-ALAYZA S, BONATTO SL. Conservation genetics of South American aquatic mammals: an overview of gene diversity, population structure, phylogeography, non-invasive methods and forensics. Mamm Rev 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00201.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Stevick PT, Neves MC, Johansen F, Engel MH, Allen J, Marcondes MCC, Carlson C. A quarter of a world away: female humpback whale moves 10,000 km between breeding areas. Biol Lett 2010; 7:299-302. [PMID: 20943678 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fidelity of individual animals to breeding sites is a primary determinant of population structure. The degree and scale of philopatry in a population reflect the fitness effects of social facilitation, ecological adaptation and optimal inbreeding. Patterns of breeding-site movement and fidelity are functions of social structure and are frequently sex biased. We report on a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) first identified by natural markings off Brazil that subsequently was photographed off Madagascar. The minimum travel distance between these locations is greater than 9800 km, approximately 4000 km longer than any previously reported movement between breeding grounds, more than twice the species' typical seasonal migratory distance and the longest documented movement by a mammal. It is unexpected to find this exceptional long-distance movement between breeding groups by a female, as models of philopatry suggest that male mammals move more frequently or over longer distances in search of mating opportunities. While such movement may be advantageous, especially in changeable or unpredictable circumstances, it is not possible to unambiguously ascribe causality to this rare observation. This finding illustrates the behavioural flexibility in movement patterns that may be demonstrated within a typically philopatric species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Stevick
- Antarctic Humpback Whale Catalogue, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
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