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- Title
Preliminary analysis of the social structure of killer whales, Orcinus orca, at subantarctic Marion Island.
- Authors
Tosh, Cheryl A.; de Bruyn, P. J. Nico; Bester, Marthán N.
- Abstract
Studies of social differentiation between populations of killer whales ( Orcinus orca) are important due to the cosmopolitan nature of the species, both in terms of distribution and feeding habits. The following research provides preliminary findings describing the social structure of the killer whale, Orcinus orca, population at subantarctic Marion Island. We provide evidence for consistent, observable patterns of social interactions with animals associating and disassociating in nonrandom patterns. We show that the social structure of this population may follow a new pattern of association, displaying a blend of the traditional resident/transient model displayed in the Northern Hemisphere. However, we emphasize the critical need for further studies related to the sociality, biology, and life history of Southern Ocean killer whales.
- Subjects
MARION Island (Prince Edward Islands); PRINCE Edward Islands; ANTARCTIC Ocean; KILLER whale; DIFFERENTIATION (Sociology); SOCIAL structure; ANIMAL behavior
- Publication
Marine Mammal Science, 2008, Vol 24, Issue 4, p929
- ISSN
0824-0469
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00233.x