An international team, led by Andrew Foote (NTNU, Norvège), and including Paul TIXIER (IRD, MARBEC), has analysed the genome of representatives of a particular population of killer whale living in the southern hemisphere, the “Type D".
This population is characterised by a very rounded head that looks more like that of a pilot whale, and by an extremely small eye patch. These circumpolar killer whales live offshore in the Southern Ocean, between latitudes known for their turbulence.
A comparison between the genome of type D and those of 26 populations sampled worldwide shows that there is no clear affinity between this population and all the others. In addition, the first genome sequences of type D killer whales reveal extreme inbreeding.
« Our demographic reconstruction suggests that a long-term low effective population size, rather than a recent population collapse during the Anthropocene, underlies these very high inbreeding estimates »
Paul TIXIER (IRD, MARBEC) co-author of the study
To know more...
https://www.ird.fr/consanguinite-chez-les-orques-circumpolaires
Publication : Foote A. D., Alexander A., Ballance L. T., Constantine R., Munoz B. G. V., Guinet C., Robertson K. M., Sinding M. H. S., Sironi M., Tixier P., Totterdell J., Towers J. R., Wellard R., Pitman R. L., Morin P. A. 2023. "Type D" killer whale genomes reveal long-term small population size and low genetic diversity. Journal of Heredity. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esac070