View - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

Table of Contents
Thesis Abstract ................................................................................................... i
Dedication .......................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgments............................................................................................. iv
Table of Contents ............................................................................................ viii
List of Tables ................................................................................................... xiii
List of Figures................................................................................................... xv
1. General Introduction ............................................................................... 1
1.1. Overview......................................................................................... 1
1.2. Brief review on the systematics of dolphins ................................... 2
1.2.1. Mechanisms of speciation in dolphins........................................ 3
1.2.2. Phylogeny and sources of paraphyly ......................................... 4
1.2.3. Convergence with terrestrial mammals ...................................... 5
1.3. Investigation of population structure .............................................. 7
1.3.1. A challenging task in delphinid species...................................... 7
1.4.
1.3.2. Factors driving dolphin population structure............................... 9
Genetic diversity ........................................................................... 12
1.5. Social system ............................................................................... 14
1.6. Principal methodological tools used in this study......................... 19
1.6.1. Photo-identification................................................................... 19
1.6.2. Biopsy sampling ....................................................................... 20
1.6.3. Molecular markers.................................................................... 22
1.7. Thesis outline and collaborators................................................... 24
2. Isolation and interchange among insular spinner dolphin communities in
the South Pacific revealed by individual identification and genetic diversity 28
2.1. Abstract......................................................................................... 29
2.2. Introduction................................................................................... 30
2.3. Materials & Methods..................................................................... 34
2.3.1. Study area and small-boat surveys.......................................... 34
2.3.2. Collection and analysis of photo-identification data ................. 35
2.3.3. Biopsy sampling and DNA extraction....................................... 36
2.3.4. mtDNA sequencing, genotyping and sex identification ............ 36
viii