A new study reveals that the Arabian Sea humpback whale is considered to be the most isolated whale species on the planet as its habitat has remained the same for tens of thousands of years. The new research was conducted by a team from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the American Museum of Natural History.

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Currently, the whale is classified under the endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of species under population threat however, it has proven challenging to further study the creature since there is only limited data about the whale.

However, the researchers were able to obtain tissue samples from 67 Arabian Sea humpback whales which they have examined their mitchondrial and nuclear DNA composition. Using these DNA data, the team conducted a genetic comparison with existing data obtained from humpback whale populations from the North Pacific and the Southern Hemisphere. 

Researchers have concluded that the Arabian Sea humpback is highly distinct from the North Pacific and Southern Hemisphere whales based on their findings. When the team further examined the gene flow of the whale, it suggests that the Arabian Sea humpback actually have origins from the Southern Indian ocean.

However, the population became isolated for 70,000 years in the Arabian Sea, a fact that is highly remarkable for a species that is migratory in nature. The researchers recommend that the whale should be placed under the IUCN's Red List of creatures that are critically endangered based on the whales' low reproduction rates and imminent man made threats.

This study is published in the journal, PLOS ONE.

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