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ABSTRACT The ability to recognize individual animals has substantially increased our knowledge of the biology and behaviour of many taxa1. However, not all species lend themselves to this

approach, either because of insufficient phenotypic variation or because tag attachment is not feasible. The use of genetic markers (‘tags’) represents a viable alternative to traditional

methods of individual recognition, as they are permanent and exist in all individuals. We tested the use of genetic markers as the primary means of identifying individuals in a study of

humpback whales in the North Atlantic Ocean. Analysis of six microsatellite loci2,3 among 3,060 skin samples collected throughout this ocean allowed the unequivocal identification of

individuals. Analysis of 692 ‘recaptures’, identified by their genotype, revealed individual local and migratory movements of up to 10,000 km, limited exchange among summer feeding grounds,

and mixing in winter breeding areas, and also allowed the first estimates of animal abundance based solely on genotypic data. Our study demonstrates that genetic tagging is not only

feasible, but generates data (for example, on sex) that can be valuable when interpreting the results of tagging experiments. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a

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SWABBING METHODS TO SAMPLE DNA FOR GENOTYPING ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA (_THUNNUS THYNNUS)_ Article Open access 11 February 2025 COMBINING GENETIC MARKERS WITH STABLE ISOTOPES IN OTOLITHS

REVEALS COMPLEXITY IN THE STOCK STRUCTURE OF ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA (_THUNNUS THYNNUS_) Article Open access 07 September 2020 CURRENT GLOBAL POPULATION SIZE, POST-WHALING TREND AND HISTORICAL

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(1981). Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Most samples were collected during the international collaborative project (Year of the North Atlantic Humpback Wahle

(YONAH). We thank T. H. Andersen, P. Arctander, C. Berchok, I. Bonnelly, M. Fredholm, J. Jensen, K. B. Pedensen, P. Raahaùge, J. Robbins, O. Vasquez and E. Widén for their support and

assistance. Funds were obtained from the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, the Greenland Home Rule, the EU Biotechnology Program, the Danish and Norwegian Research Councils,

the US National Marine Fisheries Service. The US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the International Whaling Commission, the US State Department,

the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation, the Dorr Foundation, the American–Scandinavian Foundation, the Exxon Corporation, and Feodor Pitcairn. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS *

Department of Population Biology, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen, DK-2100, Denmark Per J. Palsbøll, Martine Bérube´, Tonnie P. Feddersen, Hanne Jørgensen, Anja Holm Larsen & Renate

Sponer * Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, 04609, Maine, USA Judith Allen, Steve Katona & Peter Stevick * Department of Natural Resources Science, Ste-Anne de Bellevue,

H9X 3V9, Quebec, Canada Martine Bérube´ * Center for Coastal Studies, 59 Commercial Street, Provincetown, 02657, Massachusetts, USA Phillip J. Clapham & David K. Mattila * Sea Mammal

Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, Fife, UK Philip S. Hammond * Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 92697,

California, USA Richard R. Hudson * Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, PO Box 570, 3900, Nuuk, Greenland Finn Larsen# * Whale Research Group, Memorial University, A1B 3X9,

Newfoundland, Canada Jon Lien * Marine Research Institute, Skulagata 4, PO Box 1390, 121, Reykjavik, Iceland Jóhann Sigurjónsson * Mingan Island Cetacean Study Inc., 285 Green Street,

Ste-Lambert, J4P 1T3, Quebec, Canada Richard Sears * US National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, 02543, Massachusetts, USA Tim Smith * Institute of

Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, N1-15024, Bergen, Norway Nils Øien Authors * Per J. Palsbøll View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

Judith Allen View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Martine Bérube´ View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

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Larsen# View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jon Lien View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

David K. Mattila View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jóhann Sigurjónsson View author publications You can also search for this author

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search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Nils Øien View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Per J.

Palsbøll. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Palsbøll, P., Allen, J., Bérube´, M. _et al._ Genetic tagging of humpback whales. _Nature_ 388,

767–769 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/42005 Download citation * Received: 06 March 1997 * Accepted: 16 May 1997 * Issue Date: 21 August 1997 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/42005 SHARE

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