O'Mahony, E. N. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Breath to genome: Whole genome sequencing of large whales from blow sampling

Preserving biodiversity requires the genetic monitoring of wild populations, but traditional invasive sampling techniques can impact animal welfare. For cetaceans, a promising non-invasive approach is the collection of exhaled respiratory vapour, or blow, to generate individual genetic profiles. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of generating whole genomes from the blow of humpback whales with data of sufficient quality for population genomics. A total of 58 blow samples from 26 Northeast Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were collected in Gitgaat First Nation territory using a commercially available drone. The high endogenous content at 84% on average allowed us to generate low-coverage nuclear genomes (mean 2.3x, range 0.2x-3.5x) and high coverage mitochondrial genomes (mean 94x, range 7.7x-151.3x) for inference of population structure, diversity and phylogenomics. The reliability of the blow-derived genomes was demonstrated by direct comparison between replicate blow samples, as well as paired tissue samples from a subset of individuals.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

The diffusion of cooperative and solo bubble net feeding in Canadian Pacific humpback whales

Cooperative foraging, a mutualistic resource acquisition behaviour observed across diverse taxa, can drive social network structure, as it typically involves high rates of interactions between individuals. Understanding the mechanisms and distribution of such behaviours is important to elucidate the drivers of social organisation. Bubble net feeding ( bubble netting) is a specialised foraging technique practised by certain humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations globally. Over 20 years of study in the northern Canadian Pacific, we observed the diffusion of two morphs of this behaviour: social cooperative and independent, or solo, bubble netting. Network-based diffusion analyses - a tool developed to test for social learning - find strong evidence for the social learning of bubble netting when a static social network is used, even after accounting for individual-level traits such as site fidelity and sex (10.6 x103 to 35.4x103 times more support for social versus asocial learning; p < 0.0001). However, we could not completely exclude homophily due to the inherent sociality of this cooperative foraging behaviour. Nonetheless, it is clear that the rapid diffusion of bubble netting throughout this population has significant consequences for its social structure, which should be information considered by those planning the conservation of this threatened population.

animal behavior and cognition↗