Description
Globally there is currently one speices of Killer whale, Orcinus Orca. However they are divided into many different ecotypes based on their foraging, physical, behavioral and cultural differences. There has long been varying amounts of evidence that some of these ecotypes deserve status as at least a sub-species, if not fully separate species. However none have to date been recognized, mostly due to lack of a multitude of clear evidence. But that has changed with the Resident (fish eating) and Bigg's (aka transients, mammal eating) killer whales in the Eastern North Pacific. A new paper brings together multiple lines of evidence to propose that these two ecotypes are different from one another and every other orca population in the world. Enough to warrent them their own species status (suggested O. ater and O. rectipinnus). Join us to learn about the convincing evidence, the process still to come for the possible confirmation of this new designation, and what that means for conservation.
Paper is open access: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsos.231368
Information about how they choose the names: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/lost-skulls-and-latin-how-scientists-chose-names-newly-identified-killer-whale-species
Information with info graphics: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/new-research-reveals-full-diversity-killer-whales-two-species-come-view-pacific-coast
One of the biggest questions about harbor porpoises is if the stocks we currently manage are truly one large population, or if there are smaller distinct units within a geographic area. DNA can help answer this question, but getting samples from harbor porpoises using traditional routes (i.e....
Published 11/16/24
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Published 11/04/24