New dolphin species found off the coast of Australia

Scientists have identified a new species of humpback dolphin that lives in the waters north of Australia.

There are many types of dolphin in the world, but one type in particular — the humpback dolphin — has been giving scientists some trouble over the years. It's not that these ocean-going mammals are mischievous. It's that they range over such a wide area of the Earth's oceans that pinning down exactly how many species of humpback dolphin there are has proved to be difficult.

Up until now, there have been two officially-recognized species, the Atlantic humpback dolphin and the Indian humpback dolphin, plus a third one, if you count the Chinese white dolphin (or Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin), and possibly even two more that don't have 'common' names yet. There's been a lot of dispute in the community about exactly which actually belong in the genus and which don't, and it's easy to see why it can be confusing and frustrating to conservationists. To solve this problem, an international team of scientists came together to study skull samples, physical traits, and the genetic codes from over 200 different dolphins, to come up with a better idea of exactly how many species of humpback dolphin there are.

Not only did their research confirm that the three species named above (Atlantic, Indian, and Chinese white dolphins) are all humpback dolphins, it also identified a brand new fourth species. This new species lives in the waters north of Australia, and although it is actually new to science — as it hasn't been classified until now — it isn't exactly new to scientists. They'd apparently known about these dolphins for some time, but just didn't know that they were a distinct species.

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The key to finding this new species, according to the researchers, was the kind of genetic work they did on the samples they collected. Most studies just look at the DNA from the mitochondria of the cell samples, because it's easier to work with than DNA from the cell nuclei. However, these researchers went the 'extra mile' to collect and study both types of DNA, and it was that added information, along with the physical characteristics, that allowed them to make this discovery.

"One of the reasons we're finding new species is because we're finding new tools," said study co-author Martin Mendez, a researcher with the American Museum of Natural History, who also works with the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Genetics opens a new window into these kinds of questions."

(Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

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