Morphometric comparisons of skulls of harbour porpoises (<i>Phocoena phocoena</i>) from the Baltic, Kattegat, and Skagerrak seas

Börjesson, Patrik; Berggren, Per

doi:10.1139/z97-035

Cited by 31 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In contrast, previous studies achieved ≤ 72% correct classification (e.g. Börjesson & Berggren 1997). It has been documented that diet was significantly correlated with adaptive morphological features (e.g.…”

Section: Morphologymentioning

confidence: 72%

Morphological and genetic differentiation of the Black Sea harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena

Viaud-Martínez¹,

Vergara²,

Gol’din³

et al. 2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The ecological and conservation status of the geographically isolated Black Sea harbour porpoise is currently unknown. Although it has been suggested that Black Sea harbour porpoises are distinct from other populations, the implementation of specific conservation plans has been hindered by the absence of a genetic and morphological study with large sample sizes. We sought to test the hypothesis that Black Sea porpoises differ from those in the Atlantic Ocean using cranial morphology and mitochondrial DNA variation. A total of 177 adult skulls from the Atlantic coast of France, Danish North Sea including Skagerrak and Inner Danish Waters, Greenland and the Black Sea were scored for 22 morphological variables. A portion of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced for 146 ind. from the eastern north Atlantic, the northern Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Within the Black Sea, we found relatively low levels of genetic diversity, and no statistically significant differentiation. However, the Black Sea population shares no haplotypes with the eastern Atlantic populations, suggesting that they have been separated for thousands of years. Black Sea porpoises also show significant morphological differences from other populations, with smaller body and skull size, wider and longer rostrum, smaller orbital length, smaller internal nares and condylar widths and larger occipital ridge. Our results demonstrate that harbour porpoises from the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara and the northern Aegean Sea (eastern region): (1) are genetically differentiated; (2) have been reproductively isolated for a considerable period of time; and (3) are likely to be on an independent evolutionary pathway. We recommend that harbour porpoises from the eastern region be recognized as the subspecies Phocoena phocoena relicta.

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Section: Morphologymentioning

confidence: 72%

Morphological and genetic differentiation of the Black Sea harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena

Viaud-Martínez¹,

Vergara²,

Gol’din³

et al. 2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Harbor seals in the Moray Firth changed from a diet of mainly sand eels in quarters 2 and 3 to other species (including gadids and clupeids) in quarters 1 and 4 (Pierce et al 1991, Tollit andThompson 1996). Borjesson and Berggren (1996) found that herring was the main prey of harbor porpoises in Swedish waters all year round, but the contribution of sprat and whiting to the diet varied seasonally. Gannon et al (1998) reported that herring was the main prey of harbor porpoises in the Gulf of Maine in both summer and autumn, but was more important in the summer diet while silver, red, and white hakes and pearlsides were more important in the autumn diet.…”

Section: Seasonal Variation In Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

VARIABILITY IN THE DIET OF HARBOR PORPOISES (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) IN SCOTTISH WATERS 1992–2003

Santos¹,

Pierce²,

Learmonth³

et al. 2004

Marine Mammal Science

114

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Interannual, seasonal, and regional variation in the diet of porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in Scottish (UK) waters was studied using stomach contents of animals stranded between 1992 and 2003. Most samples came from the east coast (including many porpoises killed by bottlenose dolphins), with smaller numbers from the west coast and from Shetland. The most important prey types, in terms of contribution by number and mass, were whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and sand eels (Ammodytidae). Multivariate analysis confirmed the existence of regional, seasonal, and interannual variation in diet, as well as differences (i. e., biases) related to cause of death. These differences were further explored using univariate analyses. Sand eels were more important in the summer months (quarters 2 and 3) and on the east coast, whereas gadids were more important in winter and in the Shetland area. Some, but not all, observed trends in the numerical importance and size of prey taken were consistent with trends in abundance and size of fish taken during research trawl surveys. There was some evidence that porpoises <1 yr old took more gobies (Gobiidae) and shrimps than did older porpoises. Clupeids (herring Clupea harengus and sprat Sprattus sprattus) formed a relatively small proportion of the diet, but their importance varied from year to year. Although possible methodological biases prevent firm conclusions, it appears that the importance of clupeids in porpoise diet may have decreased since the 1960s, mirroring the decline in North Sea herring abundance. The recovery of the North Sea herring stock in recent years is not as yet reflected in porpoise diet.

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“…Three harbor porpoise populations have been proposed to inhabit the waters between the North Sea and the Inner Baltic Sea; the North Sea/Skagerrak population, the southern Kattegat/BES population, and a population in the IBS, based on morphology and genetic markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA) [32–36]. The most recent large-scale population genetics study [32] indicates subtle population differentiation between the Baltic Sea regions, and partially addresses earlier criticism, which suggested that managing Baltic porpoises as an independent conservation unit is premature [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Explicit Analysis of Genome-Wide SNPs Detects Subtle Population Structure in a Mobile Marine Mammal, the Harbor Porpoise

et al. 2016

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The population structure of the highly mobile marine mammal, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), in the Atlantic shelf waters follows a pattern of significant isolation-by-distance. The population structure of harbor porpoises from the Baltic Sea, which is connected with the North Sea through a series of basins separated by shallow underwater ridges, however, is more complex. Here, we investigated the population differentiation of harbor porpoises in European Seas with a special focus on the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters, using a population genomics approach. We used 2872 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), derived from double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq), as well as 13 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial haplotypes for the same set of individuals. Spatial principal components analysis (sPCA), and Bayesian clustering on a subset of SNPs suggest three main groupings at the level of all studied regions: the Black Sea, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, we observed a distinct separation of the North Sea harbor porpoises from the Baltic Sea populations, and identified splits between porpoise populations within the Baltic Sea. We observed a notable distinction between the Belt Sea and the Inner Baltic Sea sub-regions. Improved delineation of harbor porpoise population assignments for the Baltic based on genomic evidence is important for conservation management of this endangered cetacean in threatened habitats, particularly in the Baltic Sea proper. In addition, we show that SNPs outperform microsatellite markers and demonstrate the utility of RAD-tags from a relatively small, opportunistically sampled cetacean sample set for population diversity and divergence analysis.

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Morphometric comparisons of skulls of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Baltic, Kattegat, and Skagerrak seas

Cited by 31 publications

References 5 publications

Morphological and genetic differentiation of the Black Sea harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena

Morphological and genetic differentiation of the Black Sea harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena

VARIABILITY IN THE DIET OF HARBOR PORPOISES (PHOCOENA PHOCOENA) IN SCOTTISH WATERS 1992–2003

Spatially Explicit Analysis of Genome-Wide SNPs Detects Subtle Population Structure in a Mobile Marine Mammal, the Harbor Porpoise

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