Brenna Frasier | Saint Mary's University (Canada) (original) (raw)

Papers by Brenna Frasier

Marine Mammal Science, 2022

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021

Abstract Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species ... more Abstract Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species that enables the better understanding of the relationships between humans and animals, not only from their morphological information, but also from the ancient biomolecules (lipids, proteins, and DNA) preserved in these remains for thousands and even millions of years. However, due to the costs and efforts required for ancient biomolecular analysis, there has been considerable research into development of accurate and efficient screening approaches for archaeological remains. FTIR spectroscopy is one such approach that has been considered for screening of proteins, but its widespread use has been hindered by the fact that its predictive accuracy can vary widely depending on the extent of sample preservation and the instrument used. Further, screening methods for ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis are scarce. Here we present a new approach to vastly improve upon FTIR-based screening methods prior to ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) and aDNA analysis through the use of random forest-based machine learning. To do so, we use ATR-FTIR to examine three sets of archaeological bone assemblages and analyse them by ZooMS (for taxonomic identification). Two of these are from Palaeolithic contexts, dominated by terrestrial fauna and include specimens with a variety of preservational conditions. The third set consists of Holocene faunal remains, with variable levels of preservation and is dominated by cetaceans. Using the Holocene faunal remains, we were able to more consistently evaluate ATR-FTIR-based screening for mtDNA as well as ZooMS success. We report on the potential of machine learning in ATR-FTIR-based screening for ancient mtDNA analysis, and our machine learning models conclusively improve the accuracy prior to usage of ATR-FTIR-based screening for ZooMS by 20–40%. The results also suggest this approach potentially allows for a universal screening system, applicable across multiple sites and largely independent of the spectrometers used.

Marine Mammal Science, 2019

PloS one, 2015

During late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarmin... more During late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarming sites, where mating likely occurs. However, the extent to which individuals of a single summering site migrate to the same swarming site, and vice versa, is not known. We examined the migratory connectivity between summering and swarming sites in two temperate, North American, bat species, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers, we examined population structuring within and among summering and swarming sites. Both species exhibited moderate degrees of mitochondrial DNA differentiation (little brown bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.093, FST(SWARMING)= 0.052; northern long-eared bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.117, FST(SWARMING)= 0.043) and little microsatellite DNA differentiation among summering and among swarming sites. Haplotype diversity was significantly higher at swarming sites than summering ...

Marine Mammal Science, 2012

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14 C B.P.-10,290 ± 150 14 C B.P. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (F ST ≤ 0.005, ST ≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14 C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.

Journal of Heredity, 2009

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy has been identified in a variety of species and can result from either... more Mitochondrial heteroplasmy has been identified in a variety of species and can result from either paternal leakage, whereby sperm mitochondria enter the ova during fertilization, or more commonly by the ''survival'' and proliferation of mutant variants within an organism. From an evolutionary perspective, this process represents the generation of new mitochondrial diversity within a species. Although this has been documented in some mammalian species, it has been reported from relatively few wild mammalian populations and in no wild nonhuman population has the transfer and segregation of mitochondrial heteroplasmy been tracked through multiple generations. We report on the first case of the identification and tracking of mitochondrial control region heteroplasmy through 3 generations in the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis. We also identify the full segregation to the mutant variant within a single generation and thus the development of a new haplotype (haplotype G) in a maternal lineage of this endangered species. Witnessed here is the generation of mitochondrial diversity in a genetically depauperate species.

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2011

Although historically distributed along the northeast coast of the United States (US), grey seals... more Although historically distributed along the northeast coast of the United States (US), grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791)) were considered locally extinct until the late 1980s when three naturally re-established pupping colonies were discovered. Two large populations in Canada, the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and Sable Island (SI) seals, are possible sources of immigrants for the recovering US population. To assess the stock structure of grey seals in the northwest Atlantic, tissue samples were collected from Canadian and US populations for genetic analyses. We examined nine highly variable microsatellite loci (n = 158; mean number of alleles per locus = 7.22). When population differentiation was assessed without a priori inference of potential subpopulations, all individuals were placed into one population. Pairwise FST values showed little difference in allele frequencies between the SI and the GSL or the Canadian and the US samples. We sequenced a 319 bp segment of ...

ARCTIC, 2009

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle... more During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence to hunt whales. The hunting that occurred during this period is of primary significance for the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), because it has been interpreted as the largest human-induced reduction of the western North Atlantic population, with ~12250–21 000 whales killed. It has been frequently reported that the Basques targeted two species in this region: the North Atlantic right whale and the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus L., 1758. To evaluate this hypothesis and the relative impact of this period of whaling on both species, we collected samples from 364 whale bones during a comprehensive search of Basque whaling ports from the 16th to the 17th century in the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bones were found and sampled at 10 of the 20 sites investigated. DNA was extracted from a subset (n = 218) of these sam...

Mammalian Biology

While photo-identification is an effective tool to monitor individuals in wild populations, it ha... more While photo-identification is an effective tool to monitor individuals in wild populations, it has limitations. Specifically, it cannot be applied to very young animals before their identifying features have stabilized or to dead, decomposed animals. These shortfalls leave gaps in our understanding of survival, parentage, age structure, physical development, and behavioral variability. Here we report on 13 case studies of North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, calves that required genetics to track their life history data. These case studies revealed unexpected variations in mother–calf associations and separation times, as well as calf physical development. Prior to this study, calves were assumed to have died if their mothers were always alone on the feeding ground in the calf’s birth year. Using genetics and photo-identification, four such calves were discovered to be alive; two of the four possibly weaned earlier than expected at 7.5–8.0 months. To put these early sepa...

When the Land Meets the Sea, 2011

... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et a... more ... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et al. Fig . 6.3 Harbor Harbor-1 site map (figure by H. Kim and L. Marr, 2009) Page 9. 107 6 Ship to Shore: Inuit, Early Europeans, and Maritime Landscapes a later period. ...

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2015

White-nose syndrome is rapidly spreading in eastern North America, causing mass mortality of hibe... more White-nose syndrome is rapidly spreading in eastern North America, causing mass mortality of hibernating bats. We characterized levels of genetic diversity and population structure of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831)) in eastern Canada to infer the extent to which oceanic straits may be barriers to movement. To quantify metrics of gene flow and infer movement dynamics, we genotyped 679 M. lucifugus at nine nuclear microsatellites (nDNA) and sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We found high levels of genetic diversity and little population structure, with ≈13-fold higher differentiation of mtDNA than nDNA markers, suggesting that structuring patterns largely result from female philopatry. Discriminant analysis of principle components suggested that the subtle underlying structure was not concordant with sampling site. Regional differentiation (FST, Dest, Mantel test residuals) is mostly consistent with genetic isolation by distance. However, s...

Arctic Crashes: People and animals in a changing North, 2020

Marine Mammal Science, 2012

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14 C B.P.-10,290 ± 150 14 C B.P. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (F ST ≤ 0.005, ST ≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14 C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.

When the Land Meets the Sea, 2011

... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et a... more ... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et al. Fig . 6.3 Harbor Harbor-1 site map (figure by H. Kim and L. Marr, 2009) Page 9. 107 6 Ship to Shore: Inuit, Early Europeans, and Maritime Landscapes a later period. ...

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2004

The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), is one of the world&a... more The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), is one of the world's most endangered large cetaceans. It is widely believed that Basque whalers caused the most dramatic decline of this species in the western North Atlantic during the early-16th and ...

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle... more During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence to hunt whales. The hunting that occurred during this period is of primary significance for the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), because it has been interpreted as the largest human-induced reduction of the western North Atlantic population, with ~12 250 -21 000 whales killed. It has been frequently reported that the Basques targeted two species in this region: the North Atlantic right whale and the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus L., 1758. To evaluate this hypothesis and the relative impact of this period of whaling on both species, we collected samples from 364 whale bones during a comprehensive search of Basque whaling ports from the 16th to the 17th century in the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bones were found and sampled at 10 of the 20 sites investigated. DNA was extracted from a subset (n = 218) of these samples. Analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b region identified five whale species. The identification of only a single right whale bone and 203 bowhead whale bones from at least 72 individuals indicates that the bowhead whale was likely the principal target of the hunt. These results imply that this whaling had a much greater impact (in terms of numbers of whales removed) on the bowhead whale population than on the western North Atlantic right whale population.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14C b.p.–10,290 ± 150 14C b.p. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (FST≤ 0.005, ΦST≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.

Marine Mammal Science, 2022

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021

Abstract Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species ... more Abstract Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species that enables the better understanding of the relationships between humans and animals, not only from their morphological information, but also from the ancient biomolecules (lipids, proteins, and DNA) preserved in these remains for thousands and even millions of years. However, due to the costs and efforts required for ancient biomolecular analysis, there has been considerable research into development of accurate and efficient screening approaches for archaeological remains. FTIR spectroscopy is one such approach that has been considered for screening of proteins, but its widespread use has been hindered by the fact that its predictive accuracy can vary widely depending on the extent of sample preservation and the instrument used. Further, screening methods for ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis are scarce. Here we present a new approach to vastly improve upon FTIR-based screening methods prior to ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) and aDNA analysis through the use of random forest-based machine learning. To do so, we use ATR-FTIR to examine three sets of archaeological bone assemblages and analyse them by ZooMS (for taxonomic identification). Two of these are from Palaeolithic contexts, dominated by terrestrial fauna and include specimens with a variety of preservational conditions. The third set consists of Holocene faunal remains, with variable levels of preservation and is dominated by cetaceans. Using the Holocene faunal remains, we were able to more consistently evaluate ATR-FTIR-based screening for mtDNA as well as ZooMS success. We report on the potential of machine learning in ATR-FTIR-based screening for ancient mtDNA analysis, and our machine learning models conclusively improve the accuracy prior to usage of ATR-FTIR-based screening for ZooMS by 20–40%. The results also suggest this approach potentially allows for a universal screening system, applicable across multiple sites and largely independent of the spectrometers used.

Marine Mammal Science, 2019

PloS one, 2015

During late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarmin... more During late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarming sites, where mating likely occurs. However, the extent to which individuals of a single summering site migrate to the same swarming site, and vice versa, is not known. We examined the migratory connectivity between summering and swarming sites in two temperate, North American, bat species, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers, we examined population structuring within and among summering and swarming sites. Both species exhibited moderate degrees of mitochondrial DNA differentiation (little brown bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.093, FST(SWARMING)= 0.052; northern long-eared bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.117, FST(SWARMING)= 0.043) and little microsatellite DNA differentiation among summering and among swarming sites. Haplotype diversity was significantly higher at swarming sites than summering ...

Marine Mammal Science, 2012

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14 C B.P.-10,290 ± 150 14 C B.P. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (F ST ≤ 0.005, ST ≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14 C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.

Journal of Heredity, 2009

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy has been identified in a variety of species and can result from either... more Mitochondrial heteroplasmy has been identified in a variety of species and can result from either paternal leakage, whereby sperm mitochondria enter the ova during fertilization, or more commonly by the ''survival'' and proliferation of mutant variants within an organism. From an evolutionary perspective, this process represents the generation of new mitochondrial diversity within a species. Although this has been documented in some mammalian species, it has been reported from relatively few wild mammalian populations and in no wild nonhuman population has the transfer and segregation of mitochondrial heteroplasmy been tracked through multiple generations. We report on the first case of the identification and tracking of mitochondrial control region heteroplasmy through 3 generations in the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis. We also identify the full segregation to the mutant variant within a single generation and thus the development of a new haplotype (haplotype G) in a maternal lineage of this endangered species. Witnessed here is the generation of mitochondrial diversity in a genetically depauperate species.

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2011

Although historically distributed along the northeast coast of the United States (US), grey seals... more Although historically distributed along the northeast coast of the United States (US), grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791)) were considered locally extinct until the late 1980s when three naturally re-established pupping colonies were discovered. Two large populations in Canada, the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and Sable Island (SI) seals, are possible sources of immigrants for the recovering US population. To assess the stock structure of grey seals in the northwest Atlantic, tissue samples were collected from Canadian and US populations for genetic analyses. We examined nine highly variable microsatellite loci (n = 158; mean number of alleles per locus = 7.22). When population differentiation was assessed without a priori inference of potential subpopulations, all individuals were placed into one population. Pairwise FST values showed little difference in allele frequencies between the SI and the GSL or the Canadian and the US samples. We sequenced a 319 bp segment of ...

ARCTIC, 2009

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle... more During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence to hunt whales. The hunting that occurred during this period is of primary significance for the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), because it has been interpreted as the largest human-induced reduction of the western North Atlantic population, with ~12250–21 000 whales killed. It has been frequently reported that the Basques targeted two species in this region: the North Atlantic right whale and the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus L., 1758. To evaluate this hypothesis and the relative impact of this period of whaling on both species, we collected samples from 364 whale bones during a comprehensive search of Basque whaling ports from the 16th to the 17th century in the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bones were found and sampled at 10 of the 20 sites investigated. DNA was extracted from a subset (n = 218) of these sam...

Mammalian Biology

While photo-identification is an effective tool to monitor individuals in wild populations, it ha... more While photo-identification is an effective tool to monitor individuals in wild populations, it has limitations. Specifically, it cannot be applied to very young animals before their identifying features have stabilized or to dead, decomposed animals. These shortfalls leave gaps in our understanding of survival, parentage, age structure, physical development, and behavioral variability. Here we report on 13 case studies of North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, calves that required genetics to track their life history data. These case studies revealed unexpected variations in mother–calf associations and separation times, as well as calf physical development. Prior to this study, calves were assumed to have died if their mothers were always alone on the feeding ground in the calf’s birth year. Using genetics and photo-identification, four such calves were discovered to be alive; two of the four possibly weaned earlier than expected at 7.5–8.0 months. To put these early sepa...

When the Land Meets the Sea, 2011

... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et a... more ... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et al. Fig . 6.3 Harbor Harbor-1 site map (figure by H. Kim and L. Marr, 2009) Page 9. 107 6 Ship to Shore: Inuit, Early Europeans, and Maritime Landscapes a later period. ...

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2015

White-nose syndrome is rapidly spreading in eastern North America, causing mass mortality of hibe... more White-nose syndrome is rapidly spreading in eastern North America, causing mass mortality of hibernating bats. We characterized levels of genetic diversity and population structure of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831)) in eastern Canada to infer the extent to which oceanic straits may be barriers to movement. To quantify metrics of gene flow and infer movement dynamics, we genotyped 679 M. lucifugus at nine nuclear microsatellites (nDNA) and sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We found high levels of genetic diversity and little population structure, with ≈13-fold higher differentiation of mtDNA than nDNA markers, suggesting that structuring patterns largely result from female philopatry. Discriminant analysis of principle components suggested that the subtle underlying structure was not concordant with sampling site. Regional differentiation (FST, Dest, Mantel test residuals) is mostly consistent with genetic isolation by distance. However, s...

Arctic Crashes: People and animals in a changing North, 2020

Marine Mammal Science, 2012

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14 C B.P.-10,290 ± 150 14 C B.P. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (F ST ≤ 0.005, ST ≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14 C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.

When the Land Meets the Sea, 2011

... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et a... more ... Fig. 6.2 Hare Harbor-1 site environs (photo by W. Richard, 2008) Page 8. 106 WW Fitzhugh et al. Fig . 6.3 Harbor Harbor-1 site map (figure by H. Kim and L. Marr, 2009) Page 9. 107 6 Ship to Shore: Inuit, Early Europeans, and Maritime Landscapes a later period. ...

Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2004

The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), is one of the world&a... more The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), is one of the world's most endangered large cetaceans. It is widely believed that Basque whalers caused the most dramatic decline of this species in the western North Atlantic during the early-16th and ...

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle... more During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque whalers travelled annually to the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence to hunt whales. The hunting that occurred during this period is of primary significance for the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776), because it has been interpreted as the largest human-induced reduction of the western North Atlantic population, with ~12 250 -21 000 whales killed. It has been frequently reported that the Basques targeted two species in this region: the North Atlantic right whale and the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus L., 1758. To evaluate this hypothesis and the relative impact of this period of whaling on both species, we collected samples from 364 whale bones during a comprehensive search of Basque whaling ports from the 16th to the 17th century in the Strait of Belle Isle and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bones were found and sampled at 10 of the 20 sites investigated. DNA was extracted from a subset (n = 218) of these samples. Analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b region identified five whale species. The identification of only a single right whale bone and 203 bowhead whale bones from at least 72 individuals indicates that the bowhead whale was likely the principal target of the hunt. These results imply that this whaling had a much greater impact (in terms of numbers of whales removed) on the bowhead whale population than on the western North Atlantic right whale population.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) spe... more Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences were analyzed from 106 bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) specimens dating 471 ± 44 14C b.p.–10,290 ± 150 14C b.p. to evaluate whether historical changes in distribution and connectivity were detectable in levels of diversity and population structuring in the Central Canadian Arctic. The species has maintained levels of mtDNA diversity over 10,000 yr comparable to other nonbottlenecked large whale species. When compared to data from the Holocene East Greenland/Spitsbergen and contemporary Bering-Chuckchi-Beaufort populations, differentiation was low (FST≤ 0.005, ΦST≤ 0.003) and no temporal or geographical genetic structuring was evident. A combination of analyses suggests that the population has expanded over the past 30,000 14C yr. This genetic signature of expansion could result from population growth, admixture of multiple gene pools, or a combination of both scenarios. Despite known climatic change that altered bowhead distribution and led to isolation of populations, there is no detectable population structuring or change in genetic diversity during the Holocene. This may be due to long generation time, occasional population connectivity and a historically large global population. These characteristics warrant caution when interpreting contemporary bowhead whale DNA data, as it is unlikely that any population will be in mutation-drift equilibrium.