INDUS AND GANGES RIVER DOLPHINS

April 12, 2021

Detailed analysis of South Asian river dolphins has revealed in a recent research that the Indus and Ganges River dolphins are not one, but two separate species.

About:

  • Currently, Indus and Ganges River dolphins are classified as two subspecies under Platanista gangetica.

  • But according to a new study, this classification needs a revision. The study estimates that Indus and Ganges river dolphins may have diverged around 550,000 years ago.

Conservation status

  • The Indus and Ganges River dolphins are both classified as ‘Endangered’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

  • The Ganges dolphin is a Schedule I animal under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and has been included in Annexure – I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Source : The Hindu