Mutation rates in whales are much higher than previously reported
www.eurekalert.org
An international team of marine scientists, led by the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and the Center for Coastal Studies in the USA, has studied the DNA of family groups from four different whale species to estimate their mutation rates. Using the newly determined rates, the group found that the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested.
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The original was posted on /r/science by /u/FunnyGamer97 on 2023-08-31 21:57:02.

Original Title: Mutation rates in whales are much higher than previously reported, similar to those of smaller mammals such as humans, apes, and dolphins. The number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic before whaling was 86 percent lower than earlier studies suggested.