Eastern North Atlantic Strandings Validate Genetic Patterns in Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogiidae)
Abstract
Pygmy ( Kogia breviceps ) and dwarf ( Kogia sima ) sperm whales are among the least studied cetaceans due to their elusive behavior and low detectability at sea. Molecular approaches are therefore essential to clarify their taxonomy, population structure, and conservation status. We present new mitochondrial DNA data from stranded K. breviceps and K. sima specimens collected across the eastern North Atlantic, a region previously not represented in genetic studies. We analyzed fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and control region from 56 individuals and integrated these data with publicly available sequences to place regional diversity within a global phylogeographic framework. Population genetics, phylogenetics, and haplotype network analyses showed a weak or absent population structure in K. breviceps across its range, whereas K. sima was consistently separated into Atlantic–Mediterranean and Indo‐Pacific lineages, characterized by high genetic divergence. Eastern North Atlantic samples clustered within the Atlantic lineage and showed moderate genetic diversity, with a few locality‐specific haplotypes identified. Overall, our results expand the genetic baseline for Kogiidae species in the eastern North Atlantic and support previous evidence of cryptic diversity within K. sima . Despite observational limitations, the relatively high genetic diversity observed in the two species provides cautiously optimistic indications of population health in this elusive cetacean family.
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BibTeX
@article{maggioni2026eastern,
title = {{Eastern North Atlantic Strandings Validate Genetic Patterns in Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogiidae)}},
author = {Davide Maggioni and Graziella Pupillo and Alessia Rota and Fausto Ramazzotti and Vidal Martín and Francesca Fusar Poli and Charlotte Dumortier and Paula Méndez-Fernandez and Andreia Torres-Pereira and Sara Sá and Mariel ten Doeschate and Andrew Brownlow and Pablo Covelo and Alfredo López and Andrea Galimberti and Elena Valsecchi},
journal = {Marine Mammal Science},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1111/mms.70230},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05853109v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Eastern North Atlantic Strandings Validate Genetic Patterns in Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales (Kogiidae)
AU - Davide Maggioni
AU - Graziella Pupillo
AU - Alessia Rota
AU - Fausto Ramazzotti
AU - Vidal Martín
AU - Francesca Fusar Poli
AU - Charlotte Dumortier
AU - Paula Méndez-Fernandez
AU - Andreia Torres-Pereira
AU - Sara Sá
AU - Mariel ten Doeschate
AU - Andrew Brownlow
AU - Pablo Covelo
AU - Alfredo López
AU - Andrea Galimberti
AU - Elena Valsecchi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/16
JO - Marine Mammal Science
DO - 10.1111/mms.70230
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05853109v1
AB - Pygmy ( Kogia breviceps ) and dwarf ( Kogia sima ) sperm whales are among the least studied cetaceans due to their elusive behavior and low detectability at sea. Molecular approaches are therefore essential to clarify their taxonomy, population structure, and conservation status. We present new mitochondrial DNA data from stranded K. breviceps and K. sima specimens collected across the eastern North Atlantic, a region previously not represented in genetic studies. We analyzed fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and control region from 56 individuals and integrated these data with publicly available sequences to place regional diversity within a global phylogeographic framework. Population genetics, phylogenetics, and haplotype network analyses showed a weak or absent population structure in K. breviceps across its range, whereas K. sima was consistently separated into Atlantic–Mediterranean and Indo‐Pacific lineages, characterized by high genetic divergence. Eastern North Atlantic samples clustered within the Atlantic lineage and showed moderate genetic diversity, with a few locality‐specific haplotypes identified. Overall, our results expand the genetic baseline for Kogiidae species in the eastern North Atlantic and support previous evidence of cryptic diversity within K. sima . Despite observational limitations, the relatively high genetic diversity observed in the two species provides cautiously optimistic indications of population health in this elusive cetacean family.
SN - 0824-0469
SN - 1748-7692
ER -