A30 matriline
The A30 matrilineal [1]is the name given to the most commonly seen orca matriline in British Columbia[2]. The matriline is currently made of 3 generations, with a total of 9 individuals. It is one of the 3 matrilines in A1 pod, one of the 9 pods of the A-clan. The matriline was present in over 60% of all of the encounters in the Johnstone Strait region, making it one of best known matrilines. The group's size has increased, from 6 in the mid-1970s to 9 as of 2007, including 4 calves. It is most frequent in Johnstone Strait from late spring to early fall, frequently traveling with other pods of the Northern Resident Community.
Current Individuals
- The 60 year-old matriarch, A30, also known as Tsitika[3]
- A38, Tsitika's oldest son, also known as Blackney. (born est. 1970)
- A39, her youngest son also known as Pointer. (born 1975)
- A50, her oldest daughter, also known as Clio. (born 1984)
- A54, her youngest daughter, also known as Blinkhorn. (born 1989)
- A72, Clio's first offspring, also known as Bend. (born 1999) Bend is a young female.
- A75, Blinkhorn's first offspring, also known as Cedar.(born 2001) His sex has not been determined yet.
- A84, Clio's second offspring, also known as Klaoitsis.(born 2005) His sex has not been determined yet.
- A86, Blinkhorn's second offspring, also known as Cutter. (born 2006) His sex has not been determined yet.
Deceased Individuals
- A2, better known as Nicola was one of the most famous and recognizable killer whales of the coast. She was Tsitika's mother and died in 1989, letting her daughter be the matriarch. As Nicola was the oldest female of the subpod when the study began in the Pacific Northwest in 1973, it was first named "A2 subpod" and was later changed to A30. She was born around 1927.
- A3, also known as Wavy was Nicola's only son and was already mature when first identified, so he is estimated to have been born in the early 50s. He died in 1979.
- A6, also known as Strider was Tsitika's oldest son. He was very recognizable due to his notch near the top of his dorsal fin and with his two brothers, he formed a 3-bull trio, making the group very easy to identify. He is estimated to have been born around 1964 and died in 1999.
A30 Matrilineal as Research Subjects
This matriline has been studied extensively, particularly in order to establish vocal behavior among Killer Whales. One study of this matriline established that Killer Whales increase the use of family-specific calls shortly after the birth of a calf.[4] This increased calling is believed to facilitate the learning of the family-based calls and assist in maintaining family cohesion.[4] This matriline was also studied in an effort to understand how calls vary among pods and among matrilines within pods.[2]
References
- ^ "The A30 Matriline". orcalab.org. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ a b Miller, P. & Bain, D. "Within-pod variation in the sound production of a pod of killer whales, Orcinus orca" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-02-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "A30 Clan". killerwhale.org. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ a b Welss, B., Ladich, F., Spong, P. & Symonds, H. (2005). "Vocal behavior of resident killer whale matrilines with newborn calves: The effect of family signatures" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-02-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)