Genetic structure of the beaked whale genus Berardius in the North Pacific, with genetic evidence for a new species

There are two recognized species in the genus Berardius , Baird's and Arnoux's beaked whales. In Japan, whalers have traditionally recognized two forms of Baird's beaked whales, the common “slate‐gray” form and a smaller, rare “black” form. Previous comparison of mt DNA control region sequences from three black specimens to gray specimens around Japan indicated that the two forms comprise different stocks and potentially different species. We...