Hello, On behalf of my co-authors, Dr. Eric Archer, Dr. Patricia Rosel and Dr. William Perrin, I am pleased to announce our more recent publication “*Tursiops truncatus nuuanu*, a new subspecies of the common bottlenose dolphin from the eastern tropical Pacific”, published in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution. This work is dedicated to our late co-author Dr. William Perrin, who approved the submission of this work prior to his passing, but sadly passed away before its acceptance and publication. Dr. Perrin conducted instrumental research in the eastern tropical Pacific, highlighting the killing of dolphin species in the tuna fishery, and played a crucial role in the creation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. He is also considered the father of modern marine mammal taxonomy due to his pioneering work with cetaceans.
Costa, A.P.B., Archer, F.I., Rosel, P.E., Perrin, W.F*.* (2022) *Tursiops truncatus nuuanu*, a new subspecies of the common bottlenose dolphin from the eastern tropical Pacific. *J Mammal Evol*. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-022-09641-5 *Abstract* In the eastern Pacific Oc*e*an, three distinct forms of common bottlenose dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*) have been identified, with suggestions they may be different species: a southern California/Mexico coastal, a northern temperate offshore, and an eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) offshore form. Currently, only one species (*T. truncatus*) is recognized in the region, with the first two forms described as distinct ecotypes. The goal of this study was to improve our understanding of the taxonomic status of these previously described forms through a re-examination of their morphological differentiation. We analyzed 135 skulls from the eastern and western Pacific, including the two nominal species, *T. gillii* and *T. nuuanu*, previously described for the eastern North Pacific and ETP, respectively. Additionally, we examined the holotypes of two currently recognized species in the genus, *T. truncatus* and *T. aduncus*. Our results showed significant morphological differentiation among bottlenose dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. The ETP offshore bottlenose dolphins were smaller in skull and body size and diagnostically distinct from dolphins in the western North Pacific and other regions in the eastern Pacific. Our results also indicated that, while other bottlenose dolphins in the Pacific were more similar to the globally distributed *T. truncatus*, the ETP offshore dolphins shared similarities with a previously described species in that region. The distinct environmental conditions in the ETP may be driving the evolutionary differentiation of these bottlenose dolphins. Given these results, we here recommend the recognition of ETP offshore bottlenose dolphins as a distinct subspecies, *Tursiops truncatus nuuanu*. Best regards, Ana
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