Richard K R, Dillon M C, Whitehead H, Wright J M
Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Aug 6;93(16):8792-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.16.8792.
Mature female sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) live in socially cohesive groups of 10-30, which include immature animals of both sexes, and within which there is communal care of the young. We examined kinship in such groups using analyses of microsatellite DNA, mitochondrial DNA sequence, and sex-linked markers on samples of sloughed skin collected noninvasively from animals in three groups off the coast of Ecuador. Social groups were defined through photographic identification of individuals. Each group contained about 26 members, mostly female (79%). Relatedness was greater within groups, as compared to between groups. Particular mitochondrial haplotypes were characteristic of groups, but all groups contained more than one haplotype. The data are generally consistent with each group being comprised of several matrillines from which males disperse at about the age of 6 years. There are indications of paternal relatedness among grouped individuals with different mitochondrial haplotypes, suggesting long-term associations between different matrilines.
成年雌性抹香鲸（Physeter macrocephalus）生活在由10至30头个体组成的具有社会凝聚力的群体中，群体中包括不同性别的未成年个体，并且存在对幼崽的共同照料。我们利用微卫星DNA、线粒体DNA序列分析以及对从厄瓜多尔海岸外三组动物身上无创采集的脱落皮肤样本进行性连锁标记分析，研究了此类群体中的亲缘关系。通过对个体的照片识别来定义社会群体。每个群体约有26个成员，大多数为雌性（79%）。与群体间相比，群体内的亲缘关系更强。特定的线粒体单倍型是各群体的特征，但所有群体都包含不止一种单倍型。数据总体上与每个群体由几个母系组成一致，雄性大约在6岁时从这些母系中分散出去。有迹象表明，具有不同线粒体单倍型的群体内个体之间存在父系亲缘关系，这表明不同母系之间存在长期关联。
