The interplay of natural selection and genetic drift, influenced by geographic isolation, mating systems and population size, determines patterns of genetic diversity within species. The sperm whale provides an interesting example of a long-lived species with few geographic barriers to dispersal. Worldwide mtDNA diversity is relatively low, but highly structured...
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,*† KENDRA HOEKZEMA,† SARAH L. MESNICK,§
DANIEL ENGELHAUPT,¶ IAINKERR,** ROGER PAYNE** and C. SCOTT BAKER
The interplay of natural selection and genetic drift, influenced by geographic isolation, mating systems and population size, determines patterns of genetic diversity within species. The sperm whale provides an interesting example of a long-lived species with few geographic barriers to dispersal. Worldwide mtDNA diversity is relatively low, but highly structured...
Full Text:
Alexander1,2,3*, Debbie Steel1,2, Kendra Hoekzema2, Sarah Mesnick4, Daniel Engelhaupt5, Iain Kerr6, Roger Payne6
The interplay of natural selection and genetic drift, influenced by geographic isolation, mating systems and population size, determines patterns of genetic diversity within species. The sperm whale provides an interesting example of a long-lived species with few geographic barriers to dispersal. Worldwide mtDNA diversity is relatively low, but highly structured...
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) shows some of the most derived characteristics of any mammal: a large body size, large brain, complex social organization and a capacity for deep foraging dives that few other marine mammals can match. Despite a history of exploitation that removed hundreds of thousands of individuals,...