Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Idaira Felipe-Jimenez, Antonio Fernandez, Marisa Andrada, Manuel Arbelo, Simone Segura-Gothlin, Ana Colom-Rivero, Eva Sierra
Summary: This study found the presence of herpesvirus infection in the Ziphiidae family, with active viral replication in three out of eight infected whales.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Westbury, K. F. Thompson, M. Louis, A. A. Cabrera, M. Skovrind, J. A. S. Castruita, R. Constantine, J. R. Stevens, E. D. Lorenzen
Summary: A study on the genetic diversity and population structure of Gray's beaked whales in the Southern Hemisphere found high levels of mtDNA diversity, stable demographic history, and no geographic structure. An increase in female effective population size approximately 250 thousand years ago coincided with enhanced Southern Ocean productivity, sea surface temperature, and potential habitat expansion. These findings suggest that Gray's beaked whales are resilient to future ecosystem changes.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Simone Baumann-Pickering, Jennifer S. Trickey, Alba Solsona-Berga, Ally Rice, Erin M. Oleson, John A. Hildebrand, Kaitlin E. Frasier
Summary: Understanding the distribution and population structure of cetacean species is crucial for conservation and management. In this study, acoustic recordings were used to investigate whether differences in echolocation click peak frequency could indicate population structure in Blainville's beaked whale. The results suggest a possible acoustic delineation of populations, with a correlation between signal peak frequency and latitude.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Idaira Felipe-Jimenez, Antonio Fernandez, Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, Marina Arregui-Gil, Raquel Puig-Lozano, Manuel Arbelo, Eva Sierra
Summary: Ten species of Nasitrema have been found infecting odontocetes, including beaked whales. Nasitrema spp. are commonly found in the pterygoid sinus, tympanic cavities, and middle/inner ear. In rare cases, they can migrate to the brain. In a recent case of a stranded Blainville beaked whale, a severe chronic-active encephalitis caused by Nasitrema sp. was observed, along with herpesvirus infection in multiple organs.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Michael Denk, William McLellan, D. Ann Pabst, Sentiel Rommel, Tiffany Keenan, Sarah Sharp, Misty Niemeyer, Nicole Hunter, Gary Block, Nathan Nelson, Craig Harms, Steven Thornton, Alexander Costidis, Michael Moore
Summary: This study provides detailed descriptions of the nasal morphology of Gervais' beaked whale, including the asymmetrical curvature and the presence of tendons in the melon's lipid tissue. The findings suggest that the curvilinear shape and the asymmetrical musculature may contribute to elongating the lipid pathway and fine-tuning the melon's geometry during echolocation.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Massimiliano ROSSO, Mingli LIN, Francesco CARUSO, Mingming LIU, Lijun DONG, Anna BORRONI, Wenzhi LIN, Xiaoming TANG, Alessandro BOCCONCELLI, Songhai LI
Summary: Beaked whales account for about 25% of known extant cetacean species, but are the least known of all marine mammals. This study reported the sighting of 3 free-ranging individuals of M. ginkgodens/hotaula whale in the South China Sea, with photo data comparing them to historical records, highlighting distinguishable features. Preliminary descriptions of surfacing behavior and diving patterns were collected, while concerns were raised about scars possibly caused by fishing gear or marine litter on these poorly understood species.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aubrie B. Onoufriou, Oscar E. Gaggiotti, Natacha Aguilar de Soto, Morgan L. McCarthy, Phillip A. Morin, Massimiliano Rosso, Merel Dalebout, Nicholas Davison, Robin W. Baird, C. Scott Baker, Simon Berrow, Andrew Brownlow, Daniel Burns, Florence Caurant, Diane Claridge, Rochelle Constantine, Fabien Demaret, Sascha Dreyer, Martina Duras, John W. Durban, Alexandros Frantzis, Luis Freitas, Gabrielle Genty, Ana Galov, Sabine S. Hansen, Andrew C. Kitchener, Vidal Martin, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Valeria Montano, Aurelie Moulins, Carlos Olavarria, M. Michael Poole, Cristel Reyes Suarez, Emer Rogan, Conor Ryan, Agustina Schiavi, Paola Tepsich, Jorge R. Urban, Kristi West, Morten Tange Olsen, Emma L. Carroll
Summary: The study investigated genetic diversity patterns in Cuvier's beaked whale and Blainville's beaked whale, revealing substantial genetic structure at a global scale. Differentiation was found between genetic clusters within major ocean basins, highlighting the importance of biogeographical barriers. The balance between resident populations and transient individuals plays a key role in shaping connectivity and genetic drift in beaked whales.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Emma L. Carroll, Michael R. McGowen, Morgan L. McCarthy, Felix G. Marx, Natacha Aguilar, Merel L. Dalebout, Sascha Dreyer, Oscar E. Gaggiotti, Sabine S. Hansen, Anton van Helden, Aubrie B. Onoufriou, Robin W. Baird, C. Scott Baker, Simon Berrow, Danielle Cholewiak, Diane Claridge, Rochelle Constantine, Nicholas J. Davison, Catarina Eira, R. Ewan Fordyce, John Gatesy, G. J. Greg Hofmeyr, Vidal Martin, James G. Mead, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Phillip A. Morin, Cristel Reyes, Emer Rogan, Massimiliano Rosso, Monica A. Silva, Mark S. Springer, Debbie Steel, Morten Tange Olsen
Summary: Research has revealed a new Southern Hemisphere ziphiid species Mesoplodon eueu, and through genetic and morphometric analysis, identified its evolutionary divergence from True's beaked whale, suggesting divergence began around 2 million years ago.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Idaira Felipe-Jimenez, Antonio Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Simone Segura-Gothlin, Ana Colom-Rivero, Cristian M. Suarez-Santana, Jesus De La Fuente, Eva Sierra
Summary: A retrospective survey was conducted on beaked whales stranded in the Canary Islands from 1999 to 2017 to detect the presence of cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV). The study revealed that amplification of fusion protein (F) and phosphoprotein (P) genes is useful for CeMV detection. The earliest confirmed occurrence of DMV in Cuvier's beaked whales was identified, and there is a close relationship between DMV strains in different regions.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geology
Alistair Monteath, Paul Hughes, Matthew Cooper, Dulcinea Groff, Rob Scaife, Dominic Hodgson
Summary: This study examined the changes in the Southern Hemisphere westerly wind belt over the past 16,000 to 6,500 years using a peat sequence in the Falkland Islands. The research findings indicate a southward shift in the latitude of the wind belt during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, which is linked to atmospheric temperature changes.
Article
Biology
Fleur Visser, Machiel G. Oudejans, Onno A. Keller, Peter T. Madsen, Mark Johnson
Summary: Closely related beaked whale species, such as Sowerby's and Blainville's beaked whales, show significant differences in foraging strategies, with Sowerby's whales exhibiting a higher-speed foraging style compared to the low-energy strategist Blainville's whales. This highlights their ability to access different prey populations by utilizing distinct deep-sea foraging and energetic niches.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ross Brookwell, Kimberly Finlayson, Jason P. van de Merwe
Summary: The karyotype of the Odontocete whale, Mesoplodon densirostris, was reported for the first time with a chromosome number determined to be 2n = 42. The study identified unique features such as NOR regions, heterochromatic variation, and a large Y chromosome, and compared the karyotype to other species of Mesoplodon.
CYTOGENETIC AND GENOME RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew J. Gooday, Maria Holzmann, Wojciech Majewski, Jan Pawlowski
Summary: This study describes six new species of Gromia testate protists using morphological and genetic data. These species are found in marine environments in South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The ecological significance of these species is not well understood, but they play an important role in higher-latitude intertidal and fjord settings.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Katharine N. Savage, Kathy Burek-Huntington, Sadie K. Wright, Anna L. Bryan, Gay Sheffield, Marc Webber, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Pam Tuomi, Martha A. Delaney, William Walker
Summary: This is the first comprehensive compilation of history, distribution, and findings of Stejneger's beaked whales in Alaska. The data shows a significant increase in strandings of Stejneger's beaked whales in Alaska, with the cause of death remaining inconclusive.
MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Timothy Earl, Eleanor MacLeod, Marta Soffker, Nico Gasco, Felix Massiot-Granier, Paul Tixier, Christopher Darby
Summary: Studies have shown that different modeling approaches in the affected Antarctic fisheries estimate very similar annual depredation removals, with all methods averaging around 5% of fish removed throughout the entire fishery. Although depredation varies spatially, different modeling approaches consistently highlight areas where the impact of depredation is highest.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
