Proposal to the Scientific Committee: Worldwide genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among right whales based on next-generation sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes and multiple nuclear loci

SLIKAS, B; BAKER, SC; CLAPHAM, P; FRASIER, T; SEGER, JON; VALENZUELA, LUCIANO O; WADE, P

Congreso; International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee; 2012

International Whaling Commission

<!-- /* Font Definitions */@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:auto;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-alt:Calibri;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:auto;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:SimSun;mso-font-alt:宋体;mso-font-charset:122;mso-generic-font-family:auto;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:JA;}@page WordSection1{size:8.5in 11.0in;margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;mso-header-margin:.5in;mso-footer-margin:.5in;mso-paper-source:0;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}-->Right whale (genus Eubalaena) populations worldwide wereseverely depleted by commercial and illegal whaling, and many populations remainsmall and vulnerable. For such critically endangered populations, assessinggenetic diversity is essential to evaluate vulnerability, to improve parameterestimates in population dynamic models, and to monitor recovery over time. Inaddition, genetic divergence at mitochondrial and nuclear loci is critical todefining stocks and species among right whales. We are using next-generationsequencing methods to collect sequence data from complete mitochondrial genomesand > 20 nuclear loci to assess genetic diversity in the small easternpopulation of the North Pacific right whale and to compare diversity among theNorth Pacific, North Atlantic, and southern right whales. We also will use thenext-generation sequence data to re-assess reciprocal monophyly and phylogeneticrelationships among right whale taxa. We are now in the final stages of datacollection for this project, and we are requesting funds to finalize analyses,reporting, and publication.