Habitat structure and the dispersal of male and female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

ABSTRACT: Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are widely distributed and a high degree of morphometric and genetic differentiation has been found among both allopatric and parapatric populations. We analysed 145 samples along a contiguous distributional range from the Black Sea to the eastern North Atlantic for mitochondrial and nuclear genetic diversity, and found population structure with boundaries that coincided with transitions between habitat regions. These regions can be characterized by ocean floor topography, and oceanographic features such as surface salinity, productivity and temperature. At the extremes of this range there was evidence for the directional emigration of females. Bi-parentally inherited markers did not show this directional bias in migration, suggesting a different di

SUBMITTER: Natoli A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1564106 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature