Killer whale predatory scarring on mysticetes: A comparison of rake marks among blue, humpback, and gray whales in the eastern North Pacific

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Corsi ◽  
John Calambokidis ◽  
Kiirsten R. Flynn ◽  
Gretchen H. Steiger
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Killer Whale ◽  
Gray Whales

Prevalence of Killer Whale Tooth Rake Marks on Gray Whales off Sakhalin Island, Russia

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 643-652
Author(s):  
David W. Weller ◽  
Amanda L. Bradford ◽  
Aimée R. Lang ◽  
Alexander M. Burdin ◽  
Robert L. Brownell, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Killer Whale ◽  
Sakhalin Island ◽  
Gray Whales

Population structure of North Pacific gray whales in light of trans‐Pacific movements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimée R. Lang ◽  
David W. Weller ◽  
Alexander M. Burdin ◽  
Kelly Robertson ◽  
Olga Sychenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Gray Whales

Preliminary findings of restriction fragment differences in mitochondrial DNA among killer whales (Orcinus orca)

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 2592-2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy A. Stevens ◽  
Deborah A. Duffield ◽  
Edward D. Asper ◽  
K. Gilbey Hewlett ◽  
Al Bolz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Killer Whale ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Restriction Pattern ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Pacific

A preliminary assessment of mitochondrial DNA restriction patterns in the killer whale (Orcinus orca) was conducted using 10 captive North Atlantic killer whales from the southeastern coast of Iceland, a captive-born offspring of one of these whales, and 9 North Pacific killer whales. No restriction pattern variation was seen among these whales, using the enzymes BamH I, Bgl II, Hinf I, Kpn I, or Pvu II. Restriction pattern variation was found using the enzyme Hae III. This restriction endonuclease distinguished the North Atlantic killer whales (type 1) from the North Pacific killer whales. The North Pacific killer whales were further differentiated into two groups: those originating from the "resident" communities of the Vancouver Island region (type 2), and those from the "transient" community of Vancouver Island, as well as those stranded along the Oregon coast (type 3). The observed Hae III restriction pattern differences suggest that mitochondrial DNA analysis will be a valuable technique for investigating regional and local distributions of maternal lineages among killer whale pods, especially in the North Pacific.

scholarly journals New fossil remains of the commensal barnacle Cryptolepas rhachianecti provide evidence of gray whales in the prehistoric South Pacific

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Larry Taylor ◽  
Juan Abella ◽  
Jorge Manuel Morales-Saldaña
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Gray Whale ◽  
Gray Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Pacific ◽  
Historical Range

Abstract We report the finding of two partial specimens of Cryptolepas rhachianecti (Cirripedia, Coronulidae), a coronulid barnacle known only to inhabit the skin of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), in Pleistocene-aged sediments from the Canoa Basin, Ecuador. While the historical range of gray whales includes the North Pacific and North Atlantic, to our knowledge this is the first inferred evidence of a gray whale population having resided within the South Pacific. We describe the two Cryptolepas rhachianecti fossils, use isotopic analysis to investigate evidence of migration in their host whales, and discuss their implications for our understanding of gray whale evolutionary history.

scholarly journals Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila S Lemos ◽  
Amy Olsen ◽  
Angela Smith ◽  
Todd E Chandler ◽  
Shawn Larson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Baleen Whale ◽  
Gray Whales ◽  
Fecal Steroid ◽  
Metabolite Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to validate and quantify fecal steroid (progestins, androgens and glucocorticoids) and thyroid hormone metabolite concentrations in eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast, USA, from May to October of 2016–2018. Higher mean progestin metabolite concentrations were observed in postweaning females, followed by pregnant females. Mean androgen, glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites were higher in mature males. Progestin, glucocorticoids and thyroid fecal metabolites varied significantly by year, with positive correlations between progestin and androgen, and between glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites. We also present two case studies of a documented injured whale and a mature male displaying reproductive competitive behavior, which provide reference points for physiologically stressed individuals and adult breeding males, respectively. Our methods and findings advance the knowledge of baleen whale physiology, can help guide future research on whale physiology and can inform population management and conservation efforts regarding minimizing the impact of anthropogenic stressors on whales.

scholarly journals Site-fidelity and spatial movements of western North Pacific gray whales on their summer range off Sakhalin, Russia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. e0236649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen C. A. Bröker ◽  
Glenn Gailey ◽  
Olga Yu. Tyurneva ◽  
Yuri M. Yakovlev ◽  
Olga Sychenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
Gray Whales ◽  
Summer Range
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