BLAST (Basic Local Alignment and Search Tool) compared the submitted 1,044 base sequence from the unknown creature with the GenBank database of several million sequences comprising tens of billions of base pairs. The search required 30 secs. The 'E Value' indicates the probability that the match would be obtained by chance, based on the sizes of the sequence and the current GenBank database. The 'Score' indicates the degree of match between the unknown sequence and the reference sequence. In this case, the unknown is 99.6% similar to  Physeter catodon, the Sperm Whale. The small number of differences is consistent with expected variation among individuals within species. The next closest match is 84% with Kogia breviceps, the Pygmy Sperm Whale. Were a less exact match obtained, this might indicate a new species, or a known species with a DNA sequence not currently in the data base. [Carr et al. 2002. Biological Bulletin 202:1-5]

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