Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines
The knowledge of the life history traits of cetaceans, especially in the case of species that are difficult to observe in the wild, often benefits from the study of stranded individuals. The dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) is a vagrant cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea, which is rarely sighte...
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Hellenic Centre for Marine Research
2024
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ftektojs:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/35701 2024-09-15T18:37:35+00:00 Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines MAIO, NICOLA FIORAVANTI, TATIANA LATINI, LUCREZIA PETRACCIOLI, AGNESE MEZZASALMA, MARCELLO INSACCO, GIANNI SPLENDIANI, ANDREA POLLARO, FRANCESCO GUARINO, FABIO MARIA CAPUTO BARUCCHI, VINCENZO 2024-07-05 application/pdf https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701 eng eng Hellenic Centre for Marine Research https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701/28575 https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701/28574 https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701 Copyright (c) 2024 Mediterranean Marine Science Mediterranean Marine Science; Τόμ. 25 Αρ. 2 (2024): Mediterranean Marine Science; 374-381 Mediterranean Marine Science; Vol. 25 No. 2 (2024): Mediterranean Marine Science; 374-381 1791-6763 1108-393X Cetacea Kogiidae Mediterranean Sea mitochondrial DNA age estimation gonadal histology info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2024 ftektojs 2024-07-08T23:38:37Z The knowledge of the life history traits of cetaceans, especially in the case of species that are difficult to observe in the wild, often benefits from the study of stranded individuals. The dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) is a vagrant cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea, which is rarely sighted in water and occasionally is found stranded along the Italian coasts. In this work, we investigated the genetics, age, and reproductive status of three dead individuals (1 male, 1 female, 1 unsexed), stranded in three different sites along Italian coastlines. We used mitochondrial DNA markers for tracing the geographical origin of the animals, tooth sectioning as a proxy for their age estimation and gonadal histology for evaluating their reproductive status. Genetic analyses revealed that the male and the female are K. sima belonging to the Atlantic clade (A clade). The female, with a total body length (TBL) of 1.95 m, had an estimated age of 12 years, and ovaries with one corpus luteum. The male, with a TBL of 2.07 m, had testicles in late spermatogenesis and an estimated age of 22-24 years. From the unsexed individual, which had an estimated age of at least 20 years, no gonadal samples were obtained as it was stranded as a skeleton. Our findings will contribute to increase the knowledge of some unexplored provenance and life-history traits of K. sima visiting the Mediterranean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sperm whale EKT ePublishing (National Documentation Centre, Greece) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
EKT ePublishing (National Documentation Centre, Greece) |
op_collection_id |
ftektojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Cetacea Kogiidae Mediterranean Sea mitochondrial DNA age estimation gonadal histology |
spellingShingle |
Cetacea Kogiidae Mediterranean Sea mitochondrial DNA age estimation gonadal histology MAIO, NICOLA FIORAVANTI, TATIANA LATINI, LUCREZIA PETRACCIOLI, AGNESE MEZZASALMA, MARCELLO INSACCO, GIANNI SPLENDIANI, ANDREA POLLARO, FRANCESCO GUARINO, FABIO MARIA CAPUTO BARUCCHI, VINCENZO Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
topic_facet |
Cetacea Kogiidae Mediterranean Sea mitochondrial DNA age estimation gonadal histology |
description |
The knowledge of the life history traits of cetaceans, especially in the case of species that are difficult to observe in the wild, often benefits from the study of stranded individuals. The dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) is a vagrant cetacean species in the Mediterranean Sea, which is rarely sighted in water and occasionally is found stranded along the Italian coasts. In this work, we investigated the genetics, age, and reproductive status of three dead individuals (1 male, 1 female, 1 unsexed), stranded in three different sites along Italian coastlines. We used mitochondrial DNA markers for tracing the geographical origin of the animals, tooth sectioning as a proxy for their age estimation and gonadal histology for evaluating their reproductive status. Genetic analyses revealed that the male and the female are K. sima belonging to the Atlantic clade (A clade). The female, with a total body length (TBL) of 1.95 m, had an estimated age of 12 years, and ovaries with one corpus luteum. The male, with a TBL of 2.07 m, had testicles in late spermatogenesis and an estimated age of 22-24 years. From the unsexed individual, which had an estimated age of at least 20 years, no gonadal samples were obtained as it was stranded as a skeleton. Our findings will contribute to increase the knowledge of some unexplored provenance and life-history traits of K. sima visiting the Mediterranean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
MAIO, NICOLA FIORAVANTI, TATIANA LATINI, LUCREZIA PETRACCIOLI, AGNESE MEZZASALMA, MARCELLO INSACCO, GIANNI SPLENDIANI, ANDREA POLLARO, FRANCESCO GUARINO, FABIO MARIA CAPUTO BARUCCHI, VINCENZO |
author_facet |
MAIO, NICOLA FIORAVANTI, TATIANA LATINI, LUCREZIA PETRACCIOLI, AGNESE MEZZASALMA, MARCELLO INSACCO, GIANNI SPLENDIANI, ANDREA POLLARO, FRANCESCO GUARINO, FABIO MARIA CAPUTO BARUCCHI, VINCENZO |
author_sort |
MAIO, NICOLA |
title |
Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
title_short |
Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
title_full |
Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
title_fullStr |
Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
title_full_unstemmed |
Genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (Kogia sima) stranded along the Italian coastlines |
title_sort |
genetic characterization, age and reproductive status of dwarf sperm whales (kogia sima) stranded along the italian coastlines |
publisher |
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701 |
genre |
Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Sperm whale |
op_source |
Mediterranean Marine Science; Τόμ. 25 Αρ. 2 (2024): Mediterranean Marine Science; 374-381 Mediterranean Marine Science; Vol. 25 No. 2 (2024): Mediterranean Marine Science; 374-381 1791-6763 1108-393X |
op_relation |
https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701/28575 https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701/28574 https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/35701 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2024 Mediterranean Marine Science |
_version_ |
1810481950652104704 |