In an ambitious research project, geneticists from the University of Illinois took DNA samples from 68 whale sharks from around the world - and found that the giant fish shared very similar genetic codes.
The findings have two implications for the sharks: first, that their numbers are dwindling, causing offspring to lose genetic diversity, and second, that whale sharks must be protected worldwide in order to recover to a healthy population level since they interbreed across the globe.
READ FULL BLOG POST
Mutations in a gene known as "Fritz" may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, developmental biologists, human geneticists and cell biologists have found. Post Profile
Biologists used DNA tagging to show that whale sharks, the world's largest fish, show little genetic variation across widely separated tropical oceans, underscoring the need for wider protection against over-fishing.... Post Profile
In an ambitious research project, geneticists from the University of Illinois took DNA samples from 68 whale sharks from around the world - and found that the giant fish shared very similar genetic codes. The findings have two impli... Post Profile