Update on killer whale taxonomy: Morin et al. (2024) proposed recognizing Bigg’s and resident killer whales as separate species. There was insufficient evidence to classify them as two species, but they were classified as subspecies by the Taxonomic Committee of the Society for Marine Mammalogy.
Posted by orcinus__orca@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 7 comments
SurayaThrowaway12@reddit
/u/orcinus__orca, I cannot help but notice that my comments on your posts almost always get downvoted.
I honestly have a lot of respect for your posts and comments, and have learned quite a bit from the infographics and research papers that you have posted. You are clearly a researcher/scientist who has done a lot fieldwork with cetaceans such as orcas and humpback whales.
I don't work in your field, but for my part I try to volunteer, contribute to citizen science projects, and donate to various research and conservation organizations whenever I can, as well as trying to keep on top of the literature (particularly that for orcas).
Do you mind telling me what issue(s) with my comments you apparently have? If you don't want to see my comments on your posts, just tell me so and I'll stop, but I would still like to know why.
Though you may already know most or all of the information I state in my comments, do keep in mind that I am trying to address a broad general audience on Reddit, who may not know a lot about orcas and other cetaceans.
I am still trying to improve my science communication skills, so any constructive criticism would be appreciated. It would mean a lot coming from someone actually in the field of cetology such as yourself.
orcinus__orca@reddit (OP)
Oh sorry I don’t think I’ve downvoted stuff. If I did that must have been inadvertently through scrolling on my phone. I did just check your profile and saw a lot of car footage so I think I would have thought it was a bot account?
I think it’s so cool you’re communicating about science and contributing to citizen science, keep at it :) great job getting into the literature! The world needs more people to know about whales!
SurayaThrowaway12@reddit
Thanks, I appreciate you clearing that up. I used to frequently post dashcam videos I found online, but that was a few years back. My passion for orcas and other cetaceans was reignited, and I have been trying to make educational comments and posts on them ever since.
phileo99@reddit
The Northern resident orcas are more closely related to the Southern resident orcas than the Bigg's orcas. The Northern and Southern residents habitat overlaps, so why don't they interbreed?
SurayaThrowaway12@reddit
The Northern and Southern Resident orcas do not interbreed or otherwise interact with each other because of cultural barriers. Orcas within different populations almost never interact with orcas from other populations, and orcas tend to be xenophobic.
How the Northern and Southern Resident orcas separated from each other in the first place is an interesting mystery.
TeTrodoToxin4@reddit
Sounds pretty much par for the course for academic taxonomy arguments.
Speciation is a hard line to draw and while it is likely in the process of occurring, it has not happened quite yet.
whisperwind12@reddit
It's fascinating that they can interbreed, they're in the same location but avoid each other and don't due to what appears to be cultural factors.