Speciation in the deep: genomics and morphology reveal a new species of beaked whale Mesoplodon eueu.

ABSTRACT: The deep sea has been described as the last major ecological frontier, as much of its biodiversity is yet to be discovered and described. Beaked whales (ziphiids) are among the most visible inhabitants of the deep sea, due to their large size and worldwide distribution, and their taxonomic diversity and much about their natural history remain poorly understood. We combine genomic and morphometric analyses to reveal a new Southern Hemisphere ziphiid species, Ramari's beaked whale, Mesoplodon eueu, whose name is linked to the Indigenous peoples of the lands from which the species holotype and paratypes were recovered. Mitogenome and ddRAD-derived phylogenies demonstrate reciprocally monophyletic divergence between M. eueu and True's beaked whale (M. mirus) from the North

SUBMITTER: Carroll EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8548795 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature