Whole-genome sequencing of the blue whale and other rorquals finds signatures for introgressive gene flow

2018/04/04 by Úlfur Árnason, Fritjof Lammers, Vikas Kumar +2 · 7 citations
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Marine animal studies overview #Animal Genetics and Reproduction #Polar Research and Ecology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aap9873

openalex publication_date 2018/04/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

) is placed among rorquals, and the blue whale genome shows a high degree of heterozygosity. The nearly equal frequency of conflicting gene trees suggests that speciation of rorqual evolution occurred under gene flow, which is best depicted by evolutionary networks. Especially in marine environments, sympatric speciation might be common; our results raise questions about how genetic divergence can be established.

Citations

• Complete Genomes Reveal Signatures of Demographic and Genetic Declines in the Woolly Mammoth
• Testing for Ancient Admixture between Closely Related Populations
• An Approximately Unbiased Test of Phylogenetic Tree Selection
• Fast Coalescent-Based Computation of Local Branch Support from Quartet Frequencies
• Genetic variation in blue whales in the eastern pacific: implication for taxonomy and use of common wintering grounds
• The evolutionary history of bears is characterized by gene flow across species

Cited by

• Genome-Wide Demographic Analyses of Balaenid Whales Revealed Complex History of Gene Flow Associated with Past Climate Oscillation
• Anatomical, Ontogenetic, and Genomic Homologies Guide Reconstructions of the Teeth-to-Baleen Transition in Mysticete Whales
• Baleen whale [wikipedia]
• Blue whale [wikipedia]
• Eschrichtiidae [wikipedia]
• Gray whale [wikipedia]
• Rorqual [wikipedia]