Sex identification of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the wintering grounds of the Mexican Pacific Ocean
Canadian Journal of Zoology1994Vol. 72(10), pp. 1771–1774
Citations Over TimeTop 17% of 1994 papers
Luis Wencheng Lau Medrano, Medina Salinas, Inés Salas, P. Ladrón de Guevara, A. Aguayo, Jeff K. Jacobsen, C. Scott Baker
Abstract
The sex of 43 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from different social groupings in the Mexican Pacific was identified by a molecular analysis of skin biopsy samples. Of the 18 whales sampled from surface-active groups, 17 were males. Three singers were sampled and identified as males. In two cases, whales interrupting and joining a singer without exhibiting agonistic behavior were identified as females. A higher proportion of males was found in the samples collected at the Revillagigedo Islands, reflecting a greater sampling effort on surface-active groups. Preliminary data showed that along the Mexican Pacific coast, the migratory arrival of males corresponds closely to the timing of competitive activity.
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