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Journal of Heredity: For some orcas, inbreeding is a whale of a problem

19 August 2011

On the OUPBlog, our Blog Editor Lauren Appelwick outlines recent research from the Journal of Heredity on the inbreeding occuring in some groups of killer whales.

"According to research published in the Journal of Heredity, endangered Southern Resident orcas are mating within their family groups. This “genetic bottleneck” means the whales could be more susceptible to diseases, early mortality or failure to produce calves."

For the full blog post, visit For some orcas, inbreeding is a whale of a problem

Read the paper: Inferred Paternity and Male Reproductive Success in a Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Population

Published in the Journal of Heredity, Advance Access, 14 July 2011.