METHODS: Here, we studied the variation of δ15N and δ13C values along the growth axis of the baleen plate from 24 fin whales feeding off western Iceland to delve into their pattern of movements and to identify potential associations between individuals. The segment of baleen plate analyzed informed about at least two complete migratory cycles. We performed cluster analyses through two different methodologies and, whenever possible, we genotyped 20 microsatellite loci to determine potential existence of kinship.
RESULTS: Results of the of δ15N and δ13C values agree with a dispersion strategy in the winter breeding grounds. However, and despite the overall large variability, several pairs or groups of individuals with no kinship showed highly similar isotopic patterns for two consecutive years for both δ15N and δ13C values.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that, notably, some whales without kinship share the same migratory regime and destinations. We hypothesize that this could reflect either: (i) the sharing of particularly beneficial migratory regimes, and/or (ii) long-term association between individuals.
方法:这里,我们研究了24只从冰岛西部取食的鳍鲸沿baleen板生长轴的δ15N和δ13C值的变化,以深入研究其运动方式并确定个体之间的潜在关联。分析了baleen板的部分,了解了至少两个完整的迁移周期。我们通过两种不同的方法进行了聚类分析,只要有可能,我们对20个微卫星位点进行基因分型,以确定亲缘关系的潜在存在。
结果:δ15N和δ13C值的结果与冬季繁殖地的分散策略一致。然而,尽管总体上有很大的可变性,对于δ15N和δ13C值,几对或几组没有血缘关系的个体连续两年显示出高度相似的同位素模式。
结论:我们的结果表明,特别是,一些没有亲属关系的鲸鱼拥有相同的迁徙制度和目的地。我们假设这可以反映出:(i)分享特别有益的移民制度,和/或(Ii)个人之间的长期关联。