Electrophoretic differentiation among local populations of the long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melaena, at the Faroe Islands

Abstract

Enzyme variation within and between nine schools of long-finned pilot whales, Globicephala melaena, caught at the Faroe Islands, was examined by starch gel electrophoresis. Twenty-seven enzymes were investigated, representing 41 loci, of which three were polymorphic. The polymorphic enzymes were analyzed in either liver or muscle tissue from 628 specimens. No heterogeneity within the schools was observed, while significant differences in allele frequencies between schools were detected by a multilocus G-test. This result indicated some degree of reproductive isolation.