Subj : Evolutionary origins of the pygmy right To : All From : ScienceDaily Date : Mon Jul 10 2023 22:30:20 Evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale Date: July 10, 2023 Source: University of Otago Summary: Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email ========================================================================== FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers have finally settled a decades-long dispute about the evolutionary origins of the pygmy right whale. The smallest of the living baleen whales, it's tank-like skeleton is unique, and its ecology and behaviour remain virtually unknown. Because it is so unusual, the evolutionary relationships of the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) have long been a bone of contention. In a study that solves the debate, just published in Marine Mammal Science, an international group of researchers sequenced the complete genome of Caperea, combining their findings with morphology and palaeontology. Co-author Dr Felix Marx, curator of marine mammals at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa explains the skull shape of the pygmy right whale seems to be adapted for skim-feeding, where a whale will swim at the water's surface with its mouth open to food. "This is very similar to the larger true right whale, leading some scientists to believe the two whales are closely related, hence their similar names. However, others believe the pygmy right whale is more closely related to species like the blue whale, which take big gulps of water to collect food instead of skimming," he says. He was pleased to be able to exploit the power of genomics to elucidate the history of life. "After 150 years of anatomical orthodoxy and decades of dispute, genomics now shows beyond reasonable doubt that Caperea is a distinct lineage and not related to right whales. "Like river dolphins and sperm whales, Caperea is the sole guardian of a unique piece of evolutionary heritage. It's not just another weird right whale -- it truly is the last survivor of an otherwise lost family that once played a much bigger role in Earth's history," he says. Co-lead author Dr Kieren Mitchell, of Manaaki Whenua -- Landcare Research, says new genetic information often prompts scientists to reconsider why different animals appear more similar or different to each other. "When DNA and anatomy seem to be at odds about the relationship between species, usually that means there's an even deeper and more interesting story to be discovered about their evolution," he says. Co-author Dr Nic Rawlence, Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory Director, describes Caperea as a "wonderful case of convergent evolution," which occurs when two unrelated species end up appearing more and more alike as they adapt to similar selective pressures. "Caperea has historically been aligned with right whales because they look the same due to similar feeding strategies, when, in fact, it's probable that Caperea is the last surviving member of an ancient group of whales called cetotheres," he says. Co-lead author Dr Ludo Dutoit, of Otago's Department of Zoology, says now its position in the family tree of whales has been confirmed, researchers can start to explore what the Caperea lineage looks like, and what kind of past events were significant in driving its evolution. Dr Marx agrees, adding that Caperea may be another example of how being 'unusual' helped save a lineage from extinction. "River dolphins likely survived the demise of their marine relatives because they invaded freshwater habitats; sperm whales persisted when their toothed relatives disappeared because they were deep-diving suction specialists; and Caperea survived because it adapted to be a skim filter feeder, when most of its relatives presumably didn't." * RELATED_TOPICS o Plants_&_Animals # Dolphins_and_Whales # Marine_Biology # Animals o Earth_&_Climate # Ecology # Exotic_Species # Water o Fossils_&_Ruins # Evolution # Early_Mammals # Charles_Darwin * RELATED_TERMS o Humpback_Whale o Fin_Whale o Sperm_Whale o Sei_Whale o Bowhead_Whale o Gray_Whale o Right_whale o Narwhal ========================================================================== Print Email Share ========================================================================== ****** 1 ****** ***** 2 ***** **** 3 **** *** 4 *** ** 5 ** Breaking this hour ========================================================================== * Six_Foods_to_Boost_Cardiovascular_Health * Cystic_Fibrosis:_Lasting_Improvement * Artificial_Cells_Demonstrate_That_'Life_... * Advice_to_Limit_High-Fat_Dairy_Foods_Challenged * First_Snapshots_of_Fermion_Pairs * Why_No_Kangaroos_in_Bali;_No_Tigers_in_Australia * New_Route_for_Treating_Cancer:_Chromosomes * Giant_Stone_Artefacts_Found:_Prehistoric_Tools * Astonishing_Secrets_of_Tunicate_Origins * Most_Distant_Active_Supermassive_Black_Hole Trending Topics this week ========================================================================== PLANTS_&_ANIMALS Endangered_Plants Botany Food EARTH_&_CLIMATE Environmental_Policy Sustainability Hazardous_Waste FOSSILS_&_RUINS Fossils Early_Mammals Early_Climate ========================================================================== Strange & Offbeat ========================================================================== PLANTS_&_ANIMALS Bees_Make_Decisions_Better_and_Faster_Than_We_Do,_for_the_Things_That_Matter_to Them These_Lollipops_Could_'Sweeten'_Diagnostic_Testing_for_Kids_and_Adults_Alike Why_There_Are_No_Kangaroos_in_Bali_(and_No_Tigers_in_Australia) EARTH_&_CLIMATE Turning_Old_Maps_Into_3D_Digital_Models_of_Lost_Neighborhoods Squash_Bugs_Are_Attracted_to_and_Eat_Each_Other's_Poop_to_Stock_Their Microbiome How_Urea_May_Have_Been_the_Gateway_to_Life FOSSILS_&_RUINS Giant_Stone_Artefacts_Found_on_Rare_Ice_Age_Site_in_Kent,_UK Fossils_Reveal_How_Ancient_Birds_Molted_Their_Feathers_--_Which_Could_Help Explain_Why_Ancestors_of_Modern_Birds_Survived_When_All_the_Other_Dinosaurs Died Apex_Predator_of_the_Cambrian_Likely_Sought_Soft_Over_Crunchy_Prey Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Otago. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. ========================================================================== Journal Reference: 1. Ludovic Dutoit, Kieren J. Mitchell, Nicolas Dussex, Catherine M. Kemper, Petter Larsson, Love Dale'n, Nicolas J. Rawlence, Felix G. Marx. Convergent evolution of skim feeding in baleen whales. Marine Mammal Science, 2023; DOI: 10.1111/mms.13047 ========================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230710180527.htm --- up 1 year, 19 weeks, 10 hours, 50 minutes * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3) .