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Cranial Variation and Taxonomic Revision of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops spp.) from Japanese Waters
Abstract: We analyzed the skulls of 27 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) from the waters around Japan to clarify their systematics. We divided the Japanese bottlenose dolphins into two morphological groups. Group A was comprised of six specimens from the coastal waters of the Amami Islands, Amakusa-Shimoshima Island, and Mikura Island. Group B included 21 specimens from other waters around Japan. Comparisons with type specimens showed that Groups A and B were identical to the types of T. aduncus and T. truncatus, respectively. These results support previous molecular studies on some specimens identified as T. aduncus.
Key Words: TURSIOPS ADUNCUS; TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS; BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN; JAPANESE WATERS; MORPHOLOGY; TAXONOMY
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1578/AM.32.3.2006.289
Page Numbers: 289 – 300
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