New genetic study concludes that humpback whales in three different ocean basins differ from each other and are on independent evolutionary trajectories. Therefore, they should be considered as a separate subspecies.
A group of scientists led by researchers at the University of Oregon and the British Antarctic survey revealed that populations of humpback whales in the North Pacific ocean, North Atlantic and southern hemisphere differ more than previously thought. Author Jennifer Jackson, British Antarctic service sure: despite the seasonal migration of humpback whales with a length of more than 16000 kilometers, the population more isolated from each other than previously thought. "Their oceanic populations separated by warm Equatorial waters that they rarely cross," said Jackson. "But before this study, we did not realize the extent of long-term isolation between the North Pacific ocean, North Atlantic and southern hemisphere".
Source: nauka24news.ru/