Linked Life Data

20050301

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/20050301

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
24
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-12-28
pubmed:abstractText
Ecological divergence has a central role in speciation and is therefore an important source of biodiversity. Studying the micro-evolutionary processes of ecological diversification at its early stages provides an opportunity for investigating the causative mechanisms and ecological conditions promoting divergence. Here we use morphological traits, nitrogen stable isotope ratios and tooth wear to characterize two disparate types of North Atlantic killer whale. We find a highly specialist type, which reaches up to 8.5 m in length and a generalist type which reaches up to 6.6 m in length. There is a single fixed genetic difference in the mtDNA control region between these types, indicating integrity of groupings and a shallow divergence. Phylogenetic analysis indicates this divergence is independent of similar ecological divergences in the Pacific and Antarctic. Niche-width in the generalist type is more strongly influenced by between-individual variation rather than within-individual variation in the composition of the diet. This first step to divergent specialization on different ecological resources provides a rare example of the ecological conditions at the early stages of adaptive radiation.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
1365-294X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
18
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
5207-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Ecological, morphological and genetic divergence of sympatric North Atlantic killer whale populations.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cromarty, UK. a.d.foote@abdn.ac.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't