Morphometric analysis of Chilean blue whales and implications for their taxonomy

In the Southern Hemisphere, blue whales are currently divided into two subspecies, Antarctic blue whales ( Balaenoptera musculus intermedia ) and pygmy blue whales ( B. m. brevicauda ), but there is some debate about whether Chilean blue whales should also be considered as a separate subspecies. Here, we provide novel morphometric data to directly address this taxonomic question from a biological survey of 60 blue whales taken during the...