近年来,遺傳學研究顯示南北半球的露脊鲸族群已有300萬至1200萬年未混合雜交過,這證實南露脊鯨是獨立的物種。更驚人的是,後來人們找出北半球的太平洋和大西洋族群亦是獨立的物種,且北太平洋露脊鯨与南露脊鯨更为相似。不過1998年由 Rice 所作的物種名單仍維持兩種[12],到了2000年,Rosenbaum 與 Brownell 兩團隊對此提出質疑[13][14]。2005年的《世界哺乳動物》(Mammal Species of the World)中列出了3個物種。
寄生在露脊鯨的皮上的鯨虱,血統與其寄生的露脊鯨的血統關係密切,由於鯨虱的繁殖速度遠遠比鯨快,因此牠們的去氧核糖核酸變異較大,可為科學家提供足夠的脫氧核糖核酸變異作分析。猶他大學的海洋生物學家測試過這些鯨虱的基因並確定牠們是在500-600萬年前分離出來,成為三個不同的物種的,而牠們同樣在11世紀的捕鯨活動開始之前數量都很多。[15]牠們分離出來,成為三個群落,並居於美國的南和北部,然後赤道的酷熱把牠們分為南部和北部的族群。「這為露脊鯨三個群落的爭論劃上了句號。牠們的確是三個不同的物種。」這計劃的領導者 Jon Seger 告訴英國廣播公司的新聞報告說。[16]
北大西洋露脊鯨死亡的主要原因是牠們遷徙時會遇上美國海岸以外的船隻繁忙路線,導致露脊鯨常與船隻相撞。在1970-1999年間至少有16次鯨與船相撞的記錄,而沒記錄的數字大概比這數字還要來得多。[10]美國政府承認這樣會加快本來數量穩定而暫未絕種的露脊鯨滅絕的時間,並儘可能遏止牠們的數量繼續下降。美國國家海洋和大氣管理局於1997年推行「大西洋大型鯨豚補殺減量計畫」(Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan)[26],其中一項重要的計劃是強制要求船隻報告錄得的鯨數量記錄。這規定於1999年7月實施。
^Kimura, T.; Narita, K. A new species of Eubalaena (Cetacea: Mysticeti: Balaenidae) from the Gonda Formation (latest Miocene-early Pliocene) of Japan. Bulletin of the Gunma Museum of Natural History. 2007, 11: 15–27.
^Bisconti M, Lambert O, Bosselaers M. (2017) Revision of “Balaena” belgica reveals a new right whale species, the possible ancestry of the northern right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, and the ages of divergence for the living right whale species. PeerJ 5:e3464 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3464
^J. Müller. Observations of the orbital region of the skull of the Mystacoceti. Zoologische Mededelingen. 1954, 32: 239–290.
^Rice, Dale W. Marine mammals of the world: systematics and distribution. 1998: 231pp.
^Rosenbaum, H. C., R. L. Brownell Jr., M. W. Brown, C. Schaeff, V. Portway, B. N. White, S. Malik, L. A. Pastene, N. J. Patenaude, C. S. Baker, M. Goto, P. Best, P. J. Clapham, P. Hamilton, M. Moore, R. Payne, V. Rowntree, C. T. Tynan, J. L. Bannister and R. Desalle. World-wide genetic differentiation of Eubalaena: Questioning the number of right whale species(PDF). Molecular Ecology. 2000, 9: 1793–1802. (原始内容(PDF)存档于2007-06-15).
^Brownell, R. L. Jr., P.J. Clapham, T. Miyashita and T. Kasuya. Conservation status of North Pacific right whales. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management (Special Issue). 2001, 2: 269–286.
^Kaliszewska, Z. A., J. Seger, S. G. Barco, R. Benegas, P. B. Best, M. W. Brown, R. L. Brownell Jr., A. Carribero, R. Harcourt, A. R. Knowlton, K. Marshalltilas, N. J. Patenaude, M. Rivarola, C. M. Schaeff, M. Sironi, W. A. Smith & T. K. Yamada. Population histories of right whales (Cetacea: Eubalaena) inferred from mitochondrial sequence diversities and divergences of their whale lice (Amphipoda: Cyamus). Molecular Ecology. 2005, 14: 3439–3456.
^Katona, S. K. and S. D. Kraus. Efforts to conserve the North Atlantic right whale. J. R. Twiss and R. R. Reeves (编). Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals. Smithsonian Press. 1999: 311–331.
^Gaines, C., Hare, M., Beck, S., & Rosenbaum, H. (2005)[失效連結]. Nuclear markers confirm taxonomic status and relationships among highly endangered and closely related right whale species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, 272, 533-542.
^Tonnessen, J. N. and A. O. Johnsen. The History of Modern Whaling. United Kingdom: C. Hurst & Co. 1982. ISBN 978-0-905838-23-6.
^Reeves, Randall R., Brent S. Stewart, Phillip J. Clapham and James. A Powell. National Audubon Society: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. United States: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 2002. ISBN 978-0-375-41141-0.
^The Southeast United States Right Whale Recovery Plan Implementation Team and the Northeast Implementation Team. NMFS and Coast Guard Inactions Bring Litigation(PDF). Right Whale News vol. 12. no. 4. NOAA. 2005. (原始内容(PDF)存档于2006-05-24).