Indus River Dolphin: Classify to Rectify

Indus River Dolphin: Classify to Rectify
Earl Medina
The Indus and Ganges River
dolphins are listed as
endangered by the World
Conservation Unit. It is
estimated that their populations
have decreased by 50-80% in
the last hundred years, the result
of fragmentation caused by
barrages and dams on the rivers,
declining freshwater supplies,
pollution, hunting, and capture
in fishing nets. The two
dolphins are subspecies and sole
members of the genus Platanista.
The Indus and Ganges River systems have not been largely linked to each other for at
least 5 million years. Nevertheless, there exists high similarity in fish fauna between the
two river systems.
The problems facing conservationists trying to save the Indus River dolphin in Pakistan
are many. The greatest problem lies in the fact that very little is known about either
dolphin and there has long been confusion about their taxonomy. Throughout history, the
two dolphins have been classified as either the same or different species. In 1998, the two
were again classified as the same species, which reduced the perceived importance of the
Indus River dolphin in Pakistan and undermined conservation efforts.
Now, improvements in science have allowed for DNA extraction from bone and samples
can be taken from skeletons of both dolphins stored in natural history museums in the
US, UK, Germany, and Pakistan (since cooperation between India and Pakistan on a
project is difficult). The results of this classification project may perhaps make or break
efforts to protect the Indus River dolphin.
Indus River
4/19/2010
http://www.wdcs.org/submissions_bin/indus_river_dolphins_pakistan.pdf