[Cet article a initialement été publié le 31 juillet 2024]
Narluga, a discovery of the Inuit
Inuit hunters in the Arctic were the first indicators of this new species. 34 years ago, in 1990, a mysterious skull not belonging to any previously known animal was discovered by Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, a scientist, on the roof of a hunter's house located on an island in the bay from Disko, Greenland.
For almost thirty years many assumptions have been made without any real answer being provided. It was only in 2019 that the truth emerged thanks to the animal's DNA which was examined by researchers at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
They then realized that the skull found belonged to a hybrid composed of 54% beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) and 46% narwhal (Monodon monoceros). The species was therefore named narluga.
The meeting between two very different cetaceans
Impossible to confuse them, these two species have very different physiques which are mainly distinguished thanks to evolution. The natural habitat of narwhals is found only in the Atlantic Arctic, while that of belugas corresponds to the subarctic waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific. So how is it possible that a meeting took place?
It is possible that this happened during the migration but it remains complicated to say. Indeed, it is very rare that scientists have been able to observe mating between these two species, which generally do so underwater when it is frozen.
One of the only places where belugas and narwhals can meet is Disko Bay.
A series of questions
The narluga owes its gray color to the narwhal, this cetacean with its spiral fin and its flippers to the beluga, also called the white whale. One of their common features is that their skulls are elongated. The skull found in 1990 had a row of teeth like the beluga, but their location was different: horizontal and twisted. The DNA matched a male, descended from a narwhal mother and a beluga father.
Which is very surprising because in general female narwhals are attracted to the male's defense. On a social level, the tusk has a role of domination and attraction but the beluga did not have this. This therefore suggests that this is not a criterion for female narwhals.
Today we do not know if narlugas are capable of reproducing among themselves.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
