Sea Humpback Whale Isolated for 70,000 Years: Report

A team of researchers discovered that the humpback whales, which generally live in the Arabian Sea are the most isolated whale population of the Earth. The study suggested that this humpback remains separated from other humpback for more than 70,000 years.  

The humpback whales are known for their migration on long distances but they continue to impress researchers with the way they maintained their population in their natural habitat for thousands of years. The whales were not the only ones surviving but the Arabian Sea humpback whales were isolated for 70,000 years from others humpback whales in the North Pacific and of the Southern Hemisphere.

"The epic seasonal migrations of humpbacks elsewhere are well known, so this small, non-migratory population presents a wonderful and intriguing enigma," said Tim Collins, the co-author of the new study, in a news release. "They also beg many questions: how and why did the population originate, how does it persist, and how do their behaviors differ from other humpback whales?"

"We have invested lots of energy working to clarify the population structure of several large whale species around the world," said Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director of WCS's Ocean Giants Program and senior author on the study, according to the study. "The levels of genetic differences for Arabian Sea humpback whales are particularly striking; they are the world's most distinct population of humpback whales and might even shed some light on the environmental factors that shape cetacean populations."

The scientists found that the population was genetically distinct and had been separated for nearly 70,000 years, according to the study. They believe the separation could be linked to a number of glacicla incidents during the Pleistocene Epoch and shifts in the strength of the Indian Monsoon.

"The Arabian Sea humpback whales are the world's most isolated population of this species and definitely the most endangered," said Howard Rosenbaum, one of the researchers. "The known and growing risks to this unique population include ship strikes and fishing net entanglement, threats that could be devastating for this diminished population; we need to see increased regional efforts to provide better protection for these whales."

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.