title: Migration of Antarctic minke whales to the Arctic.
abstract: The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), and the common minke whale found in the North Atlantic (Balaenoptera acutorostrata acutorostrata), undertake synchronized seasonal migrations to feeding areas at their respective poles during spring, and to the tropics in the autumn where they overwinter. Differences in the timing of seasons between hemispheres prevent these species from mixing. Here, based upon analysis of mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA profiles, we report the observation of a single B. bonaerensis in 1996, and a hybrid with maternal contribution from B. bonaerensis in 2007, in the Arctic Northeast Atlantic. Paternal contribution was not conclusively resolved. This is the first documentation of B. bonaerensis north of the tropics, and, the first documentation of hybridization between minke whale species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway. Kevin.glover@imr.no
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: Naohisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pastene
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oien
authors.forename: Mutsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Bjørghild B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Seliussen
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Skaug
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001110:Arctic Regions; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012621:Seasons; D014907:Whales / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA