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Vagrant Subantarctic fur seal at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica

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Abstract

A vagrant adult male Subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis was observed among Antarctic fur seals A. gazella at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica, which is located to ~4,190 and ~5,939 km from the nearest breeding colonies of Subantarctic fur seals. Although the colony of origin of this animal and the reason for its movement outside its distribution range are unknown, this sighting shows the high dispersal capacity of this species and provides an insight into possible changes in its distribution. Although this vagrant was not observed with females Antarctic fur seal, news sightings in the future could result in viable hybrid, and introgressive hybridization could represent a threat for Cape Shirreff population recovery, if still the population way to go to recover to presailing levels.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the director of INACH for support until 2006 for the INACH-018 Project “Ecological studies of the Antarctic Fur Seal, Arctocephalus gazella” and the Director of CEQUA for their support to our respective marine mammal projects. We also thank Shanon Cunning and Greg Hofmeyr for improvements to this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Pedro de Valdivia, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Campus Tobalaba. Av. Tobalaba 1275, Providencia, Santiago, Chile

    Daniel Torres

  2. Fundación Centro de Estudios del Cuaternario (CEQUA), Av. Bulnes 01890, Punta Arenas, Chile

    Jorge Acevedo

  3. Universidad de Magallanes, Av. Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas, Chile

    Jorge Acevedo

  4. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Ambientales, Universidad de Las Américas, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Av. Walker Martínez 1360, La Florida, Santiago, Chile

    Daniel E. Torres

  5. Departamento Medio Ambiente Acuático, Gobernación Marítima de Castro, Chiloé, Chile

    Romeo Vargas

  6. Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH), Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055, Punta Arenas, Chile

    Anelio Aguayo-Lobo

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  1. Daniel Torres
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  2. Jorge Acevedo
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  3. Daniel E. Torres
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  4. Romeo Vargas
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  5. Anelio Aguayo-Lobo
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Correspondence to Jorge Acevedo.

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Torres, D., Acevedo, J., Torres, D.E. et al. Vagrant Subantarctic fur seal at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica. Polar Biol 35, 469–473 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1082-2

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