The American Genetic Association is pleased to announce that the 2024 Best Student Paper Award has been awarded to Isabella M. Reeves, a PhD candidate in evolutionary ecology at Flinders University, for her publication "Ancestry testing of 'Old Tom,' a killer whale central to mutualistic interactions with human whalers" in the Journal of Heredity (2023).
Reeves' research focuses on using genomic and biochemical tools to understand how the evolution of populations has affected their behaviour and ecology, with a focus on killer whales.
About the Research
The research examines a distinctive family of killer whales from Eden, New South Wales, Australia, that were documented cooperatively hunting baleen whales with local whalers for nearly a century until 1928. When "Old Tom" died in 1930, his skeleton was preserved.
Using an interdisciplinary approach combining ancient DNA techniques, historical records, and First Nation oral history, Reeves investigated the genetic relationships of these killer whales with global populations.
Old Tom's genomic sequences were compared globally to killer whales, showing a common ancestor with killer whales from Australasia, the North Atlantic, and the North Pacific. The analysis showed his closest genetic similarity to New Zealand populations, though most of his genetic variation was unique, suggesting possible local extinction.
The findings indicate this human-whale relationship is thought to pre-date European colonization by millennia, beginning with the Thaua people of Eden. Reeves' work helped rectify historical discrepancies while providing new understanding of Australasian killer whale history.