Age estimation in bowhead whales using tympanic bulla histology and baleen isotopes
Title
Age estimation in bowhead whales using tympanic bulla histology and baleen isotopes
Creator
Sensor J D; George J C; Clementz M T; Lovano D M; Waugh D A; Givens G H; Suydam R; Stimmelmayr R; Thewissen J G M
Publisher
Marine Mammal Science
Date
2018
2018-04
Description
Tympanic bullae and baleen plates from bowhead whales of the Western Arctic population were examined. Growth layer groups (GLGs) in the involucrum of the tympanic bone were used to estimate age of the whales, and compared to stable isotope signatures along transects of baleen plates and the involucrum. The involucrum of the tympanic bone consists of three regions that form in utero, during nursing in the first year, and during the first decades of life, respectively. Life history events, such as annual migration, are recorded in the bowhead tympanic bulla. It is likely that bone growth in the bowhead tympanic occurs during periods of high food intake, while slow or arrested growth occurs during periods of low food intake. Comparisons between numbers of GLGs in the tympanic, number of isotopic oscillations in a baleen plate, length of the baleen plate, and total whale length show correlation coefficients as high as 0.97. The tympanic GLG method is particularly useful for estimating the age of whales up to 20 yr old.
Subject
Arctic; Balaena; Balaena mysticetus; bone; carbon; corpora; GLGs; growth; LAGs; layers; Marine & Freshwater Biology; minke whales; stable isotopes; tympanic bulla; Zoology
Identifier
Format
Journal Article
URL Address
Search for Full-text
Users with a NEOMED Library login can search for full-text journal articles at the following url: https://libraryguides.neomed.edu/home
Rights
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Pages
347-364
Issue
2
Volume
34
Citation
Sensor J D; George J C; Clementz M T; Lovano D M; Waugh D A; Givens G H; Suydam R; Stimmelmayr R; Thewissen J G M, “Age estimation in bowhead whales using tympanic bulla histology and baleen isotopes,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed May 10, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/7135.