Observations of a distinctive morphotype of killer whale (Orcinus orca), type D, from subantarctic waters

Pitman, Robert L.; Durban, John W.; Greenfelder, Michael; Guinet, Christophe; Jorgensen, Morton; Olson, Paula A.; Plana, Jordi; Tixier, Paul; Towers, Jared R.

doi:10.1007/s00300-010-0871-3

Cited by 78 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Long-term studies in the Southern Hemisphere have led to the discovery of further populations and ecotypes (e.g, Antarctic: Pitman & Ensor, 2003;Pitman et al, 2007Pitman et al, , 2011Foote et al, 2013;Argentina: Iñiguez, 2001; Crozet Islands: Guinet & Bouvier, 1995;New Zealand: Constantine et al, 1998;Visser, 1999;Visser et al, 2000).…”

Section: Who Defined Culture As "Information Capable Of Affecting Indmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences

Filatova

Samarra

Deecke

et al. 2015

Behav

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Cultural evolution is a powerful process shaping behavioural phenotypes of many species including our own. Killer whales are one of the species with relatively well-studied vocal culture. Pods have distinct dialects comprising a mix of unique and shared call types; calves adopt the call repertoire of their matriline through social learning. We review different aspects of killer whale acoustic communication to provide insights into the cultural transmission and gene-culture co-evolution processes that produce the extreme diversity of group and population repertoires. We argue that the cultural evolution of killer whale calls is not a random process driven by steady error accumulation alone: temporal change occurs at different speeds in different components of killer whale repertoires, and constraints in call structure and horizontal transmission often degrade the phylogenetic signal. We discuss the implications from bird song and human linguistic studies, and propose several hypotheses of killer whale dialect evolution.

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Section: Who Defined Culture As "Information Capable Of Affecting Indmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences

Filatova

Samarra

Deecke

et al. 2015

Behav

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“…Offshore/Pelagic ecotypes have been proposed (e.g., Baird, 2001;Baird et al, 2006;Visser et al, 2010), with three different ecotypes identified in Antarctic waters (Berghan & Visser, 2001;Pitman & Ensor, 2003). A circumpolar Austral ecotype is being investigated in southern waters (Fair, 2010;Pitman et al, 2010;Visser, 2010a;Young & Egan, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cookie Cutter Shark (Isistius sp.) Bites on Cetaceans, with Particular Reference to Killer Whales (Orca) (Orcinus orca)

Dwyer¹

2011

Aquat Mamm

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Forty-nine species of cetaceans have been recorded in the literature with cookie cutter shark (Isistius sp.) bites. The first record of a cookie cutter shark bite mark on orca (Orcinus orca) was from New Zealand waters in 1955. We present 37 unpublished records of cookie cutter shark bite marks on orca in tropical to cold waters; a further six published records were collated, and additionally 35 individuals with bite marks were noted in photo-identification catalogues. A total of 120 individuals and 198 bite marks were recorded, with the northernmost at 70° 44' N and the southernmost at 77° 14' S. We provide the first healing rate of a cookie cutter shark bite mark on an orca in New Zealand waters, with a maximum of 150 d between open wound and healed scar. Longevity of scars is considered, with one particular bite mark still visible as a dark grey oval/elliptic mark 1,158 d post photographing the open wound. Open cookie cutter shark bite marks were not observed on orca photographed in Antarctic waters, despite the majority of bite marks being recorded on Antarctic orca. This suggests a high level of movement outside the Antarctic cold water regions as the known distribution of cookie cutter sharks is in warm temperate to tropical waters. Supporting evidence for these movements is given by records of Antarctic orca in New Zealand waters with open cookie cutter shark bite marks.

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“…However, a great deal of uncertainty remains over the extent of their taxonomic and ecological diversity (Pitman et al 2007), constraining an evaluation of key trophic interactions involving these apex predators. Type B killer whales are one of four currently recognized morphotypes of killer whale in Antarctic waters and are the most common type found around the Antarctic Peninsula (Pitman and Ensor 2003;Pitman et al 2011). They are readily distinguished from the other types by a dark dorsal cape and lighter lateral fields, and a noticeably large postocular eye patch (Pitman and Ensor 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological and ecological evidence for two sympatric forms of Type B killer whale around the Antarctic Peninsula

et al. 2016

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Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are apex marine predators in Antarctica, but uncertainty over their taxonomic and ecological diversity constrains evaluations of their trophic interactions. We describe two distinct, sympatric forms sharing the characteristic pigmentation of Type B, the most common around the Antarctic Peninsula. Laser photogrammetry revealed nonoverlapping size differences among adults: Based on a body length index (BLI: blowhole to dorsal fin) adult females of the larger form (''B1'') were 20 % longer than the smaller form (''B2''), and adult males were 24 % longer on average. Dorsal fins of B1 adult females were 19 % taller than B2 females, and adult males 32 % taller. Both types were strongly sexually dimorphic, but B1 more so, including for BLI (B1 males = 1.079 females; B2 = 1.059) and especially for dorsal fin height (B1 male fins = 2.339 female; B2 = 2.109). The characteristically large Type B eye patch was more extensive for B1 than B2, comprising 41 and 37 % of BLI, respectively. Average group size was also significantly different, with B1s in smaller groups (mean 7, range 1-14) and B2s more gregarious (mean 36, range 8-75). Stable isotope analysis of skin biopsies indicated dietary differences: a significantly lower nitrogen 15 N/ 14 N ratio in B2s supported observations of feeding primarily on krill consumers (e.g., pygoscelid penguins), while B1s prey mainly on predators of krill consumers (e.g., Weddell seals Leptonychotes weddellii). These differences likely represent adaptations to distinct foraging niches, which has led to genetic divergence; their ecology now needs further study.

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Observations of a distinctive morphotype of killer whale (Orcinus orca), type D, from subantarctic waters

Cited by 78 publications

References 10 publications

Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences

Cultural evolution of killer whale calls: background, mechanisms and consequences

Cookie Cutter Shark (Isistius sp.) Bites on Cetaceans, with Particular Reference to Killer Whales (Orca) (Orcinus orca)

Morphological and ecological evidence for two sympatric forms of Type B killer whale around the Antarctic Peninsula

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