| Title | Geographic variations in underwater male Weddell Sea trills suggest breeding area fidelity |
| Author | Terhune, J.M.; Quin, D.; Dell'Apa, A.; Mirhaj, M.; Plötz, J.; Kindermann, L.; Bornemann, H. |
| Author Affil | Terhune, J.M., University of New Brunswick, Biology Department, St. John, NB, Canada. Other: dqmedia; Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Italy; Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Federal Republic of Germany |
| Source | Polar Biology, 31(6), p.671-680, . Publisher: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. ISSN: 0722- 4060 |
| Publication Date | May 2008 |
| Notes | In English. 37 refs. GeoRef Acc. No: 284715 |
| Index Terms | Southern Ocean--McMurdo Sound; biogeography; Carnivora; Casey Station; Chordata; Davis Station; Drescher Inlet; ecology; Eutheria; Mammalia; Mawson Station; McMurdo Sound; Neumayer Station; Pinnipedia; reproduction; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean; Tetrapoda; Theria; Vertebrata |
| Abstract | Adult Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) exhibit site fidelity to where they first breed but juveniles, and perhaps transient adult males, may disperse from their natal location. If there is mixing between adjacent breeding groups, we would expect that common vocalizations would exhibit clinal patterns. Underwater Trill vocalizations of male Weddell seals at Mawson, Davis, Casey, McMurdo Sound, Neumayer and Drescher Inlet separated by ca. 500 to ›9,000 km, were examined for evidence of clinal variation. Trills are only emitted by males and have a known territorial defense function. Trills from Davis and Mawson, ca. 630 km apart, were distinct from each other and exhibited the greatest number of unique frequency contour patterns. (mod. journ. abst.) |
| URL | http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00300-008-0405-4 |
| Publication Type | journal article |
| Record ID | 84170 |