Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland
In killer whales, fish- versus mammal-eating ecological differences are regarded as key ecological drivers of sociality, but the potential influence of specific target prey characteristics remains unclear. This thesis aimed to study the social patterns and dynamics of Icelandic killer whales feeding...
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University of St Andrews
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ftstandrewserep:oai:research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk:10023/12061 2023-07-02T03:32:45+02:00 Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland Tavares, Sara B. Miller, Patrick Samarra, Filipa Isabel Pereira Graves, Jeff Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) xix, 277 p. 2017-11-13T09:42:54Z http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12061 en eng University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12061 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 2020-10-10 Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 10th October 2020 Killer whale Orca Multilevel societies Social structure Relatedness Population genetics Microsatellite Mitochondrial DNA Group living Sociality Social dynamics Fission-fusion dynamics Ecological context QL737.C432T2 Killer whale--Behavior Killer whale--Food Social behavior in animals Thesis Doctoral PhD Doctor of Philosophy 2017 ftstandrewserep 2023-06-13T18:26:11Z In killer whales, fish- versus mammal-eating ecological differences are regarded as key ecological drivers of sociality, but the potential influence of specific target prey characteristics remains unclear. This thesis aimed to study the social patterns and dynamics of Icelandic killer whales feeding upon herring, a schooling prey that undergoes frequent changes in distribution and school size. I used a multi-disciplinary approach combining photo-identification and genetic data to understand the sociality, role of kinship and genetic differentiation within the population. Individuals sighted in summer-spawning and overwintering herring grounds during at least five separate days (N = 198) were considered associated if photographed within 20 seconds of each other. Photo-identified individuals were genotyped (N = 61) for 22 microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA control region (611 bp). The population had weak but non-random associations, fission-fusion dynamics at the individual level and seasonal patterns of preferred associations. The society was significantly structured but not hierarchically. Social clusters were highly diverse and, whilst kinship was correlated with association, it was not a prerequisite for social membership. Indeed, some cluster members had different mitochondrial haplotypes, representing separate maternal lineages. Individuals with different observed movement patterns were genetically distinct, but associated with each other. No sex-biased dispersal or inbreeding was detected. This study revealed that the Icelandic population has a multilevel society without clear hierarchical tiers or nested coherent social units, different from the well-studied salmon- (‘residents’) and seal-eating populations in the Northeast Pacific. In the Icelandic population kinship drives social structure less strongly than in residents. These findings suggest effective foraging on schooling herring in seasonal grounds promotes the formation of flexible social groupings which can include non-kin. Killer whale ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Iceland Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository Pacific |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftstandrewserep |
language |
English |
topic |
Killer whale Orca Multilevel societies Social structure Relatedness Population genetics Microsatellite Mitochondrial DNA Group living Sociality Social dynamics Fission-fusion dynamics Ecological context QL737.C432T2 Killer whale--Behavior Killer whale--Food Social behavior in animals |
spellingShingle |
Killer whale Orca Multilevel societies Social structure Relatedness Population genetics Microsatellite Mitochondrial DNA Group living Sociality Social dynamics Fission-fusion dynamics Ecological context QL737.C432T2 Killer whale--Behavior Killer whale--Food Social behavior in animals Tavares, Sara B. Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
topic_facet |
Killer whale Orca Multilevel societies Social structure Relatedness Population genetics Microsatellite Mitochondrial DNA Group living Sociality Social dynamics Fission-fusion dynamics Ecological context QL737.C432T2 Killer whale--Behavior Killer whale--Food Social behavior in animals |
description |
In killer whales, fish- versus mammal-eating ecological differences are regarded as key ecological drivers of sociality, but the potential influence of specific target prey characteristics remains unclear. This thesis aimed to study the social patterns and dynamics of Icelandic killer whales feeding upon herring, a schooling prey that undergoes frequent changes in distribution and school size. I used a multi-disciplinary approach combining photo-identification and genetic data to understand the sociality, role of kinship and genetic differentiation within the population. Individuals sighted in summer-spawning and overwintering herring grounds during at least five separate days (N = 198) were considered associated if photographed within 20 seconds of each other. Photo-identified individuals were genotyped (N = 61) for 22 microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA control region (611 bp). The population had weak but non-random associations, fission-fusion dynamics at the individual level and seasonal patterns of preferred associations. The society was significantly structured but not hierarchically. Social clusters were highly diverse and, whilst kinship was correlated with association, it was not a prerequisite for social membership. Indeed, some cluster members had different mitochondrial haplotypes, representing separate maternal lineages. Individuals with different observed movement patterns were genetically distinct, but associated with each other. No sex-biased dispersal or inbreeding was detected. This study revealed that the Icelandic population has a multilevel society without clear hierarchical tiers or nested coherent social units, different from the well-studied salmon- (‘residents’) and seal-eating populations in the Northeast Pacific. In the Icelandic population kinship drives social structure less strongly than in residents. These findings suggest effective foraging on schooling herring in seasonal grounds promotes the formation of flexible social groupings which can include non-kin. Killer whale ... |
author2 |
Miller, Patrick Samarra, Filipa Isabel Pereira Graves, Jeff Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Tavares, Sara B. |
author_facet |
Tavares, Sara B. |
author_sort |
Tavares, Sara B. |
title |
Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
title_short |
Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
title_full |
Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland |
title_sort |
social associations, relatedness and population genetic structure of killer whales (orcinus orca) in iceland |
publisher |
University of St Andrews |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12061 |
op_coverage |
xix, 277 p. |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Iceland Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Iceland Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12061 |
op_rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 2020-10-10 Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 10th October 2020 |
_version_ |
1770272406147956736 |