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Killer Whale Evolution Leads to Two Orca Species
from BBC News Online
Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are still evolving, and quickly. Researchers have discovered that two distinct types of orca, a large and a pygmy form, are rapidly diverging, evolving away from each other.
The scientists' study reveals each type of orca carries a unique gene mutation that benefits its particular lifestyle. The genetic change has occurred in the past 150,000 years, adding to evidence that the orcas are quickly evolving into two distinct species.
Details of the research are published in the journal Biology Letters by an international team of scientists led by orca expert Dr. Andrew Foote of the Natural History Museum of Denmark based at the University of Copenhagen.
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