Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Influence of seasonal migration on geographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in humpback whales

Nature volume 344, pages 238–240 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

HUMPBACK whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate nearly 10,000 km each year between summer feeding grounds in temperate or near-polar waters and winter breeding grounds in shallow tropical waters1. Observations of marked individuals suggest that major oceanic populations of humpback whales are divided into a number of distinct seasonal subpopulations which are not separated by obvious geographic barriers2,3. To test whether these observed patterns of distribution and migration are reflected in the genetic structure of populations, we looked for variation in the mitochondrial DNA of 84 individual humpback whales on different feeding and wintering grounds of the North Pacific and western North Atlantic oceans. On the basis of restriction-fragment analysis, we now report a marked segregation of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes among subpopulations as well as between the two oceans. We interpret this segregation to be the consequence of maternally directed fidelity to migratory destinations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mackintosh, N. A. The Stocks of Whales (Fishing News (Books), London, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Katona, S. K. & Beard, J. A. Rep. Int. What. Commn (Special Issue) 12 (in the press).

  3. Baker, C. S. et al. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 31, 105–119 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lambertsen, R. H. J. Mamm. 68, 443–445 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Page, D. C. et al. Cell 51, 1091–1104 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Nei, M. Molecular Evolutionary Genetics (Columbia University Press, New York, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Darling, J. D. & McSweeney, D. J. Can. J. Zool. 63, 308–314 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Mattila, D. K. et al. Can. J. Zool. 67, 281–285 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Palumbi, S. R. & Wilson, A. C. Evolution (in the press).

  10. Baker, C. S., Perry, A. & Herman, L. M. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 41, 103–114 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Clapham, P. J. & Mayo, C. A. Can. J. Zool. 65, 2853–2863 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Baker, C. S. thesis. Univ. Hawaii (1985).

  13. Hamilton, W. D. J. theoret. Biol. 7, 1–52 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Waser, P. M. & Jones, W. T. Q. Rev. Biol. 58, 355–390 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Bowen, B. W., Meylan, A. B. & Avise, J. C. Proc. natn. Acad. Scl. U.S.A. 86, 573–576 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Saunders, N. C., Kessler, L. G. & Avise, J. C. Genetics 112, 613–627 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Avise, J. C., Helfman, G. S., Saunders, N. C. & Hales, L. S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 4350–4354 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Avise, J. C. et al. A. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 18, 489–522 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wilson, A. C. et al. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26, 375–400 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Savage, D. E. Mammalian Paleofaunas of the World (Addison-Wesley, London, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Brown, W. M. Evolution of Genes and Proteins (eds Nei, M. & Koehn, R. K.) 62–88 (Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Townsend, C. H. Zoologica 19, 1–50 (1935).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  23. Whitehead, H. Rep. Int. Whaling Commn 32, 345–353 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Martin, A. R. et al. J. Mamm. 65, 330–333 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Perry, A., Mobley, J. R., Baker, C. S. & Herman, L. M. Sea Grant Miscellaneous Report UNIHI-SEAGRANT-MR-88-02 (Office of Sea Grant, Honolulu, 1988).

  26. Nishiwaki, M. Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst. Tokyo 14, 49–86 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Laipis, P. J., Van de Walle, M. J. & Hauswirth, W. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 8107–8110 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. C. S. Baker

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Viral Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, 21701-1013

    C. S. Baker & S. J. O'Brien

  2. the National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    C. S. Baker & S. J. O'Brien

  3. Biological Carcinogenesis and Development Program, Program Resources Inc., National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Frederick, Maryland, 21701-1013, USA

    C. S. Baker

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    S. R. Palumbi

  5. Ecosystems International, Institute for Environmental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-6068, USA

    R. H. Lambertsen

  6. Cetacean Research Unit, PO Box 159, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 01930, USA

    M. T. Weinrich

  7. Cascadia Research Collective, 218½ West Fourth Avenue, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA

    J. Calambokidis

Authors
  1. C. S. Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. R. Palumbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. H. Lambertsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. T. Weinrich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. Calambokidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S. J. O'Brien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baker, C., Palumbi, S., Lambertsen, R. et al. Influence of seasonal migration on geographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in humpback whales. Nature 344, 238–240 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/344238a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/344238a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing