Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales.
In pelagic species inhabiting large oceans, genetic differentiation tends to be mild and populations devoid of structure. However, large cetaceans have provided many examples of structuring. Here we investigate whether the sperm whale, a pelagic species with large population sizes and reputedly high...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:d59e9656486b456889cd72aecc14caec 2023-05-15T17:29:12+02:00 Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. Asunción Borrell Adriana Velásquez Vacca Ana M Pinela Carl Kinze Christina H Lockyer Morgana Vighi Alex Aguilar 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 https://doaj.org/article/d59e9656486b456889cd72aecc14caec EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3855748?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 https://doaj.org/article/d59e9656486b456889cd72aecc14caec PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 12, p e82398 (2013) Medicine R Science Q article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 2022-12-31T10:41:13Z In pelagic species inhabiting large oceans, genetic differentiation tends to be mild and populations devoid of structure. However, large cetaceans have provided many examples of structuring. Here we investigate whether the sperm whale, a pelagic species with large population sizes and reputedly highly mobile, shows indication of structuring in the eastern North Atlantic, an ocean basin in which a single population is believed to occur. To do so, we examined stable isotope values in sequential growth layer groups of teeth from individuals sampled in Denmark and NW Spain. In each layer we measured oxygen- isotope ratios (δ(18)O) in the inorganic component (hydroxyapatite), and nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios (δ(15)N: δ(13)C) in the organic component (primarily collagenous). We found significant differences between Denmark and NW Spain in δ(15)N and δ(18)O values in the layer deposited at age 3, considered to be the one best representing the baseline of the breeding ground, in δ(15)N, δ(13)C and δ(18)O values in the period up to age 20, and in the ontogenetic variation of δ(15)N and δ(18)O values. These differences evidence that diet composition, use of habitat and/or migratory destinations are dissimilar between whales from the two regions and suggest that the North Atlantic population of sperm whales is more structured than traditionally accepted. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Sperm whale Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 8 12 e82398 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
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English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Asunción Borrell Adriana Velásquez Vacca Ana M Pinela Carl Kinze Christina H Lockyer Morgana Vighi Alex Aguilar Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
In pelagic species inhabiting large oceans, genetic differentiation tends to be mild and populations devoid of structure. However, large cetaceans have provided many examples of structuring. Here we investigate whether the sperm whale, a pelagic species with large population sizes and reputedly highly mobile, shows indication of structuring in the eastern North Atlantic, an ocean basin in which a single population is believed to occur. To do so, we examined stable isotope values in sequential growth layer groups of teeth from individuals sampled in Denmark and NW Spain. In each layer we measured oxygen- isotope ratios (δ(18)O) in the inorganic component (hydroxyapatite), and nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios (δ(15)N: δ(13)C) in the organic component (primarily collagenous). We found significant differences between Denmark and NW Spain in δ(15)N and δ(18)O values in the layer deposited at age 3, considered to be the one best representing the baseline of the breeding ground, in δ(15)N, δ(13)C and δ(18)O values in the period up to age 20, and in the ontogenetic variation of δ(15)N and δ(18)O values. These differences evidence that diet composition, use of habitat and/or migratory destinations are dissimilar between whales from the two regions and suggest that the North Atlantic population of sperm whales is more structured than traditionally accepted. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Asunción Borrell Adriana Velásquez Vacca Ana M Pinela Carl Kinze Christina H Lockyer Morgana Vighi Alex Aguilar |
author_facet |
Asunción Borrell Adriana Velásquez Vacca Ana M Pinela Carl Kinze Christina H Lockyer Morgana Vighi Alex Aguilar |
author_sort |
Asunción Borrell |
title |
Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
title_short |
Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
title_full |
Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
title_fullStr |
Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern North Atlantic sperm whales. |
title_sort |
stable isotopes provide insight into population structure and segregation in eastern north atlantic sperm whales. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 https://doaj.org/article/d59e9656486b456889cd72aecc14caec |
genre |
North Atlantic Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Sperm whale |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 12, p e82398 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3855748?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 https://doaj.org/article/d59e9656486b456889cd72aecc14caec |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082398 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
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8 |
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12 |
container_start_page |
e82398 |
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1766122851649191936 |