World's oldest known killer whale Granny dies

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38496164

World's oldest known killer whale Granny dies

By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News

3 January 2017

From the section Science & Environment

The world's oldest known killer whale, affectionately known as Granny, is missing and presumed dead, researchers say. Estimated to be over 100 years old, the matriarch's official name was J2. She was the focal point of a recent BBC documentary that followed biologists' study of her clan of orcas, an effort to unravel an evolutionary mystery. Studying female orcas, which live long beyond their reproductive years, has revealed insights into the menopause.

Only three mammals are known to experience menopause - orcas, short-finned pilot whales and humans. Even our closest ape cousins, chimpanzees, do not go through it. Their fertility peters out with age and, in the wild, they seldom live beyond childbearing years.

Following Granny and other matriarch killer whales has shown their crucial role within the family group. They guide the pod as it forages, take care of other females' young calves and even feed the larger males. These post-reproductive female leaders help their families to survive, and the advantage they offer could show what drives a species to evolve to stop reproducing.
(snip)

[PearliePoo2]

1. Another article about J2 (Granny). This makes me SO sad. I have personally seen her many times.

link has a great story and a photo of this magnificent animal. Rest in peace dear one.
http://www.islandguardian.com/archives/00006352.html

snip:
We have now seen J2 thousands of times in the past forty years, and in recent years she has been in the lead of J pod virtually every time that she has been seen by anyone.

In 1987 we estimated that she was at least 45 years old and was more likely to have been 76 years old (the oldest SRKW at the time, and the presumed mother of J1). And, she kept on going, like the energizer bunny.

She is one of only a few “resident” whales for which we do not know the precise age because she was born long before our study began. I last saw her on October 12, 2016 as she swam north in Haro Strait far ahead of the others. Perhaps other dedicated whale-watchers have seen her since then, but by year’s end she is officially missing from the SRKW population, and with regret we now consider her deceased.

The SRKW population is now estimated to be 78 as of 31 December 2016, and J pod contains only 24 individuals plus the wandering L87. To whom will he attach now? Who will lead the pod into the future? Is there a future without food? What will the human leaders do?