Open AccessIdentification of a Stranded Whale by Mitochondrial DNA Analysis - www.DNASurveillance Program in Action
Author(s) -
Deepika Herath
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
asian fisheries science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.275
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 2073-3720
pISSN - 0116-6514
DOI - 10.33997/j.afs.2007.20.3.008
Subject(s) - whale , biology , balaenoptera , mitochondrial dna , identification (biology) , zoology , fishery , dna sequencing , evolutionary biology , dna , genetics , ecology , gene
A whale stranded in 2003 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was identified based on its morphological characters as Bryde’s whale, Balaenoptera brydei. Tissue samples from the muscles were collected for sequencing of the mitochondrial control region. The obtained DNA sequence matched that of known common Bryde’s whale in a large database. The morphological species identification was thus confirmed. By matching sequenced tissue samples of unidentified whales and dolphins against a reference data base specific identifications are possible.