Regional and Group-Level Differences in Fluke Markings and Notches of Sperm Whales

Autor:	Hal Whitehead, Susan Dufault
Rok vydání:	1998
Předmět:	Ecology Cetacea Biology biology.organism_classification Sperm Pacific ocean Predation parasitic diseases Genetics Animal Science and Zoology Predator Group level Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation
Zdroj:	Journal of Mammalogy. 79:514-520
ISSN:	0022-2372 1545-1542
DOI:	10.2307/1382982
Popis:	We compared differences, at three spatial-social scales, in occurrence of seven types of predator-inflicted marks and two different notch types (thought to be inherited) found on tail flukes of sperm whales ( Physeter macrocephalus ). There were significant differences between groups in occurrence of most of the predator-inflicted marks suggesting that individuals within groups had similar experiences of predation, possibly due to their use of group-defense tactics. Individuals identified in four groups in the productive region of upwelling off the coast of Peru generally had more of these marks than individuals elsewhere in the South Pacific, which may be evidence of higher frequency of predator attacks in those waters. Proportions of the two types of fluke notch were found to be significantly different in different groups suggesting that individuals in those groups were closely related. There was no other evidence of geographic patterns in marking or fluke notch type.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
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