Publications by authors named "R M Wellard"
Article Synopsis
- Cooperative hunting between humans and killer whales in Eden, Australia, was documented for nearly a century until local whaling ceased in 1928, leading to diminished sightings.
- DNA from a famous killer whale, "Old Tom," was sequenced and compared with global killer whale populations, revealing he shared a common ancestor with various groups but had unique genetic traits.
- The study highlights the importance of Indigenous knowledge in understanding the historical relationship between humans and killer whales, suggesting that the local population may have gone extinct with no identified descendants.
Genome sequences can reveal the extent of inbreeding in small populations. Here, we present the first genomic characterization of type D killer whales, a distinctive eco/morphotype with a circumpolar, subantarctic distribution. Effective population size is the lowest estimated from any killer whale genome and indicates a severe population bottleneck.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFish somatic growth is indeterminate and can be influenced by a range of abiotic and biotic variables. With climate change forecast to increase the frequency of warming and unusual discharge events, it is thus important to understand how these variables currently influence somatic growth and how that might differ for specific age-classes and/ or life stages. Here, we used a 17-year dataset from a chalk stream in southern England to identify the abiotic and biotic influences on the growth of juvenile, sub-adult and adult life stages of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus), a cold-water riverine salmonid.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile in the northern hemisphere, many studies have been conducted on the vocal repertoire of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), no such study has been conducted in the southern hemisphere. Presented here, is the first study on the vocalisations of long-finned pilot whales along the southern coast of mainland Australia. Multiple measures were taken of 2028 vocalisations recorded over five years in several locations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Physical exercise and activity status may modify the effect of the fat mass- and obesity-associated () genotype on body weight and obesity risk. To understand the interaction between FTO's effect and physical activity, the present study investigated the effects of high and low intensity exercise on FTO mRNA and protein expression, and potential modifiers of exercise-induced changes in FTO in healthy-weighted individuals.
Methods: Twenty-eight untrained males and females (25.