In:
Canadian Journal of Zoology, Canadian Science Publishing, Vol. 81, No. 12 ( 2003-12-01), p. 1965-1972
Abstract:
In this study, we used genetic data to investigate the role of female-directed philopatry in winter habitat use patterns among female eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in calving years. Analysis of 306 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA control region for 83 animals sampled from two geographically discrete winter breeding and calving lagoons revealed 28 haplotypes (nucleotide diversity (π) = 0.02, haplotype diversity (h) = 0.95). Significant differences in haplotype (F ST ) and nucleotide (Φ ST ) frequencies were detected between Laguna San Ignacio cows (n = 42) and a random sample of non-lagoon females (n = 25; F ST = 0.064, p 〈 0.01; Φ ST = 0.041, p = 0.043) and between cows and single females (n = 11; F ST = 0.027, p = 0.044; Φ ST = 0.088, p = 0.034) in Laguna San Ignacio. Significant differences in haplotype, but not nucleotide, frequencies were also detected between cows in Laguna Ojo de Liebre (Scammon's Lagoon) and non-lagoon females (n = 10; F ST = 0.074, p 〈 0.01) and between single females (n = 11) or adult males (n = 13) in Laguna San Ignacio and their non-lagoon counterparts (n females = 25, F ST = 0.07, p 〈 0.01; n males = 28, F ST = 0.08, p 〈 0.01). These data suggest that all animals exhibit some level of site fidelity to their natal lagoons as adults, and that the eastern North Pacific gray whale population may be substructured on the population's wintering grounds.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0008-4301
,
1480-3283
Language:
English
Publisher:
Canadian Science Publishing
Publication Date:
2003
detail.hit.zdb_id:
241716-9
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1490831-1
SSG:
12
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