Genetic and Ecological Divergence Between Northwest Atlantic Killer Whale Populations
N amino acid values of seven individuals sampled across different years suggests some degree of ecological plasticity. Concurrent genetic and ecological differentiation suggests that northwest Atlantic killer whales have diverged ecologically, possibly in allopatry, and are now reproductively isolated under secondary contact, comparable to population-level differences observed in other regions. However, their degree of ecological plasticity and secondary contact within expanding Arctic ranges raises questions about whether current levels of divergence will be maintained or eroded with ongoing Arctic warming.
Authors
- Colin J. Garroway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0955-0688)
- Cory J. D. Matthews (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8608-3905)
- Cortney A. Watt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4062-5729)
- Caila E. Kucheravy
- Jack Lawson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1427-665X)
- Steven H. Ferguson
- Evelien deGreef
- Jeremy J. Kiszka
Institutions
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- Florida International University (US)
- University of Manitoba (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Ecology and Evolution
- Published
- 2026-04-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73593
- Primary Topic
- Marine animal studies overview
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Nunavut General Monitoring Plan
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
- Nunavut Wildlife Management Board
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada