A long-term DNA study of beluga whales in Alaska has revealed that both males and females regularly change mating partners over their lifetimes.
Researchers analyzed genetic samples from 623 belugas in Bristol Bay over 13 years. The findings show that when calves share siblings, they usually have only one parent in common. Dr. Greg O'Corry-Crowe of Florida Atlantic University led the study. He noted that the population of about 2,000 whales maintains high genetic diversity despite its small size. Frequent mate switching limits the number of highly related offspring in the population, O'Corry-Crowe said. The research was published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The team included scientists from Florida Atlantic University, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and local subsistence hunters.