Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
ABSTRACT Using a noninvasive DNA methylation (DNAm)–based age estimation method, we investigate the age structure of humpback whales that newly emerged around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan to uncover the role of this area for this species. We measured DNAm frequencies at three age‐rela...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70854 |
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| author | Kohei Igarashi Atsushi Tanabe Hiroeki Sahara Reiko Nozaki Hidehiro Kondo Taiki Katsumata Shingo Tamura Tadashi Yamakoshi Mizuki Mori Marin Miyagi Gen Nakamura Naohisa Kanda Hiroto Murase |
| author_facet | Kohei Igarashi Atsushi Tanabe Hiroeki Sahara Reiko Nozaki Hidehiro Kondo Taiki Katsumata Shingo Tamura Tadashi Yamakoshi Mizuki Mori Marin Miyagi Gen Nakamura Naohisa Kanda Hiroto Murase |
| author_sort | Kohei Igarashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Using a noninvasive DNA methylation (DNAm)–based age estimation method, we investigate the age structure of humpback whales that newly emerged around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan to uncover the role of this area for this species. We measured DNAm frequencies at three age‐related genes (GRIA2, CDKN2A, and TET2) from 26 biopsy skin samples of 21 unique humpback whales (15 males and 6 females) randomly collected in the winters of 2018–2021 and estimated their ages using the known age estimation model for humpback whales. The estimated ages of the 21 individuals were 2.95–30.40 years old with a mean of 12.02, and the resulting age structure in 5‐year increments was roughly normally distributed with a peak at 10.00–14.99 class, suggesting the dominance of young adult males in this water. The observations (young males, male aggressive behavior for mating, whale song, and mother–calf pair) indicated that newly emerged humpback whales appeared to utilize Hachijojima Island as their new wintering ground, expanding the northern limit of the wintering area in the western North Pacific from previously known. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2540d421c3374152a496bbfb0abe1f4a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-2540d421c3374152a496bbfb0abe1f4a2025-08-20T03:26:04ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-02-01152n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70854Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, JapanKohei Igarashi0Atsushi Tanabe1Hiroeki Sahara2Reiko Nozaki3Hidehiro Kondo4Taiki Katsumata5Shingo Tamura6Tadashi Yamakoshi7Mizuki Mori8Marin Miyagi9Gen Nakamura10Naohisa Kanda11Hiroto Murase12Laboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Highly‐Advanced Veterinary Medical Technology Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine Sagamihara Kanagawa JapanLaboratory of Biology Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine Sagamihara Kanagawa JapanLaboratory of Genome Science Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Genome Science Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanInstitute of Cetacean Research Tokyo JapanHachijojima Island Tourism Association Tokyo JapanHachijo Town Office Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanLaboratory of Cetacean Biology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo JapanABSTRACT Using a noninvasive DNA methylation (DNAm)–based age estimation method, we investigate the age structure of humpback whales that newly emerged around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan to uncover the role of this area for this species. We measured DNAm frequencies at three age‐related genes (GRIA2, CDKN2A, and TET2) from 26 biopsy skin samples of 21 unique humpback whales (15 males and 6 females) randomly collected in the winters of 2018–2021 and estimated their ages using the known age estimation model for humpback whales. The estimated ages of the 21 individuals were 2.95–30.40 years old with a mean of 12.02, and the resulting age structure in 5‐year increments was roughly normally distributed with a peak at 10.00–14.99 class, suggesting the dominance of young adult males in this water. The observations (young males, male aggressive behavior for mating, whale song, and mother–calf pair) indicated that newly emerged humpback whales appeared to utilize Hachijojima Island as their new wintering ground, expanding the northern limit of the wintering area in the western North Pacific from previously known.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70854AsiacetaceanDNA methylation (DNAm)epigeneticshumpback whaleJapan |
| spellingShingle | Kohei Igarashi Atsushi Tanabe Hiroeki Sahara Reiko Nozaki Hidehiro Kondo Taiki Katsumata Shingo Tamura Tadashi Yamakoshi Mizuki Mori Marin Miyagi Gen Nakamura Naohisa Kanda Hiroto Murase Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan Ecology and Evolution Asia cetacean DNA methylation (DNAm) epigenetics humpback whale Japan |
| title | Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan |
| title_full | Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan |
| title_fullStr | Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan |
| title_short | Application of DNA Methylation–Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan |
| title_sort | application of dna methylation based age estimation to construct an age structure of humpback whales in a newly emerged wintering ground around hachijojima island tokyo metropolis japan |
| topic | Asia cetacean DNA methylation (DNAm) epigenetics humpback whale Japan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70854 |
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