CRB: Genetic Diversity of Endangered Populations of Mysticete Whales: Mitochondrial DNA and Historical Demography

过去两百年的商业开发使巨大的神秘鲸濒临灭绝。利用开发前种群规模的变化、开发期间的最小种群规模和目前的种群规模，可以分析不同程度的开发对具有不同生物地理分布和生活史特征的物种的影响。夏威夷大学的Stephen Palumbi博士将在此背景下研究三种鲸鱼的遗传种群结构，即座头鲸、灰鲸和弓头鲸。人口统计学历史的影响将通过比较这三个物种的遗传结构来确定。将对座头鲸进行进一步的研究。座头鲸在世界范围内分布，但在北半球的大西洋和太平洋的种群似乎是离散的种群，南半球海洋的种群也是如此。这些海洋种群中的每一个都可以进一步细分为更小的分离株，每一个都有自己的迁徙模式和不同的基因库。本研究将提供种群间遗传隔离水平、种群间基因流动水平和系谱关系的信息。这些详细的遗传信息将有助于有关保护和管理这些宏伟哺乳动物的国际政策决定。

Commercial exploitation over the past two hundred years drove the great Mysticete whales to near extinction. Variation in the sizes of populations prior to exploitation, minimal population size during exploitation and current population sizes permit analyses of the effects of differing levels of exploitation on species with different biogeographical distributions and life-history characteristics. Dr. Stephen Palumbi at the University of Hawaii will study the genetic population structure of three whale species in this context, the Humpback Whale, the Gray Whale and the Bowhead Whale. The effect of demographic history will be determined by comparing the genetic structure of the three species. Additional studies will be carried out on the Humpback Whale. The humpback has a world-wide distribution, but the Atlantic and Pacific populations of the northern hemisphere appear to be discrete populations, as is the population of the southern hemispheric oceans. Each of these oceanic populations may be further subdivided into smaller isolates, each with its own migratory pattern and somewhat distinct gene pool. This study will provide information on the level of genetic isolation among populations and the levels of gene flow and genealogical relationships among populations. This detailed genetic information will facilitate international policy decisions regarding the conservation and management of these magnificent mammals.