Alzugaray, M. (2000). Waterbirth and the emergence of the newborn. Midwifery Today With International Midwife (54): 21. ISSN: 1551-8892.
Descriptors: baths, dolphins physiology, labor, obstetric physiology, diving physiology, infant, newborn, midwifery.
Amos, W., J.W. Wilmer, K. Fullard, T.M. Burg, J.P. Croxall, D. Bloch, and T. Coulson (2001). The influence of parental relatedness on reproductive success. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 268(1480): 2021-7. ISSN: 0962-8452.
Abstract: The relationship between fitness and parental similarity has been dominated by studies of how inbreeding depression lowers fecundity in incestuous matings. A widespread implicit assumption is that adult fitness (reproduction) of individuals born to parents who are not unusually closely related is more or less equal. Examination of three long-lived vertebrates, the long-finned pilot whale, the grey seal and the wandering albatross reveals significant negative relationships between parental similarity and genetic estimates of reproductive success. This effect could, in principle, be driven by a small number of low quality, inbred individuals. However, when the data are partitioned into individuals with above average and below average parental similarity, we find no evidence that the slopes differ, suggesting that the effect is more or less similar across the full range of parental similarity values. Our results thus uncover a selective pressure that favours not only inbreeding avoidance, but also the selection of maximally dissimilar mates.
Descriptors: birds physiology, dolphins physiology, reproduction, seals, earless physiology, birds genetics, dolphins genetics, genotype, inbreeding, seals, earless genetics.
Amundin, M. (1986). Breeding the bottle-nosed dolphin Tursiops truncatus at the Kolmarden Dolphinarium. International Zoo Yearbook 24-25: 263-271. ISSN: 0074-9664.
Descriptors: Tursiops truncatus, aquaria, display after captive breeding, captive breeding records, management relationships, diet in captivity, breeding relationships, aquarium techniques, captive breeding relationships, hormones, male aggressive behavior treatment in captivity, birth, observations in captivity, breeding success, dominant male hormonal treatment relations in captivity, aggressive behavior, treatment using hormone injections, dominance subordination, males in captivity, hormone injection and breeding success relations, Sweden, Kolmarden Dolphinarium, display techniques and captive breeding management.
Archer, F.I. and K.M. Robertson (2004). Age and length at weaning and development of diet of pantropical spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata, from the eastern tropical Pacific. Marine Mammal Science 20(2): 232-245. ISSN: 0824-0469.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Abstract: Using stomach contents from 203 spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) killed in the yellowfin tuna fishery, we modeled the weaning process of calves. Spotted dolphins began to take solid food at approximately 6 mo of age, or 115 cm, but continued to suckle until they were nearly 2 yr old. Calves tended to feed more frequently on squid as they got older, which suggested there was a shift in diet during weaning. The average age and total body length at weaning was estimated to be 0.8 yr (approximately 9 mo) and 122 cm. The oldest suckling calf was almost 2 yr old, which suggests that some calves continued to suckle for more than a year after they could have been weaned. A better understanding of the weaning process, especially quantifying the period of time when calves are nutritionally dependent on their mothers may lead to a better evaluation of their potential vulnerability to the disturbance caused by the yellowfin tuna purse-seine fishery.
Descriptors: Stenella attenuata, age, size, length, diet, molluscan prey, teuthida, piscean prey, myctophidae, feeding behavior, calf age and size relationships and development of diet, parental care, Pacific Ocean, eastern tropical region, weaning.
Asada, M., M. Horii, T. Mogoe, Y. Fukui, H. Ishikawa, and S. Ohsumi (2000). In vitro maturation and ultrastructural observation of cryopreserved minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) follicular oocytes. Biology of Reproduction 62(2): 253-9. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Descriptors: oocytes physiology, ovarian follicle physiology, whales physiology, cell nucleus ultrastructure, cryopreservation, ethylene glycol, meiosis physiology, microscopy, electron, mitochondria ultrastructure, oocyte donation, oocytes growth and development, oocytes ultrastructure, ovarian follicle cytology.
Asada, M., M. Tetsuka, H. Ishikawa, S. Ohsumi, and Y. Fukui (2001). Improvement on the vitro maturation, fertilization and development of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) oocytes. Theriogenology 56(4): 521-533. ISSN: 0093-691X.
NAL Call Number: QP251.A1T5
Descriptors: Balaenopteridae, whales, adults, prepubertal females, oocytes, maturation, fertilization, in vitro, cumulus oophorus, culture media, serum, bovine serum albumin, concentration, fertilizing ability, embryo culture, granulosa cells, cleavage, cumulus oocyte complexes, fetal whale serum, coculture.
Asada, M., H. Wei, R. Nagayama, M. Tetsuka, H. Ishikawa, S. Ohsumi, and Y. Fukui (2001). An attempt at intracytoplasmic sperm injection of frozen-thawed minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) oocytes. Zygote (Cambridge, England) 9(4): 299-307. ISSN: 0967-1994.
NAL Call Number: QH491.Z94
Abstract: Little is known about the characteristics of fertilisation events in minke whales. Cryopreserved minke whale oocytes and spermatozoa do not fertilise in a standard IVF. This study was conducted to investigate the pronucleus formation ability of cryopreserved minke whale oocytes and their subsequent development following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In experiment 1, frozen-thawed minke whale immature oocytes were cultured for in vitro maturation (IVM) in a maturation medium (TCM199) supplemented with either porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH)/estradiol-17beta (E2) or pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). After 120 h of IVM, oocyte survival was examined before ICSI, and showed no significant difference in morphological normality (24-36%) between the two IVM media. Two-cell embryos (two oocytes from 21 sperm-injected oocytes) were obtained when the maturation medium was supplemented with pFSH/E2 or PMSG/hCG. In experiment 2, cryopreserved maturing oocytes were investigated for the effects of repeat-culture (2 h or 24 h) on survival before ICSI. Pronuclear formation and development were examined for the effects of sperm pretreatment with dithiothreitol (DTT) and oocyte activation with ethanol at ICSI. A frequency of 49-69% of frozen-thawed maturing oocytes was used for ICSI. Although oocyte activation did not produce a significant difference in survival, pronucleus formation and embryonic development, 2- and 4-cell cleaved oocytes were observed after injection of sperm pretreated with DTT.
Descriptors: cryopreservation, oocytes physiology, sperm injections, intracytoplasmic methods, whales, dithiothreitol metabolism, embryo, nonmammalian physiology, gonadal steroid hormones physiology, spermatozoa physiology.
Atkinson, S., C. Combelles, D. Vincent, P. Nachtigall, J. Pawloski, and M. Breese (1999). Monitoring of progesterone in captive female false killer whales, Pseudorca crassidens. General and Comparative Endocrinology 115(3): 323-32. ISSN: 0016-6480.
NAL Call Number: 444.8 G28
Descriptors: dolphins metabolism, eye secretion, progesterone analysis, progesterone blood, saliva chemistry, aging, dolphins blood, estrus, ovary metabolism, ovulation, reproduction, seasons.
Benetti, D.D., E.S. Iversen, and A.C. Ostrowski (1995). Growth rates of captive dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus, in Hawaii. U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Fishery Bulletin 93(1): 152-157. ISSN: 0090-0656.
NAL Call Number: 157.5 B87
Descriptors: development, systematics and taxonomy, growth rate, dolphin, captive.
Best, P.B. (1982). Seasonal abundance, feeding, reproduction, age and growth in minke whales off Durban (with incidental observations from the Antarctic). International Whaling Commission Report of the Commission 32: 759-786. ISSN: 0074-9591.
Descriptors: Cestoda, Pennella, Cyamus, mammalian hosts, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, prevalence, south west Indian Ocean, Antarctic Ocean.
Best, P.B. and C.H. Lockyer (2002). Reproduction, growth and migrations of Sei whales Balaenoptera borealis off the west coast of South Africa in the 1960s. South African Journal of Marine Science (24): 111-133. ISSN: 0257-7615.
NAL Call Number: SH315.S6S68
Descriptors: Balaenoptera, growth rate, animal migration, reproductive performance, South Africa, Africa, Africa south of Sahara, animal performance, biological development, Cetacea, growth, mammals, southern Africa, whales.
Language of Text: English summary.
Borjesson, P. and A.J. Read (2003). Variation in timing of conception between populations of the harbor porpoise. Journal of Mammalogy 84(3): 948-955. ISSN: 0022-2372.
NAL Call Number: 410 J823
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, reproductive techniques, reproductive seasonality analysis, size, fetal size, pregnancy, conception timing, variation in geographically separate populations and causes of reproductive seasonality, North Sea and north west Atlantic, breeding season, mating, mating season, growth rate, fetal growth rate, north west Atlantic, Canada, Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine, Baltic Sea, Sweden, Kattegat, North Sea, Skagerrak, conception timing variation in geographically separate populations.
Brook, F.M. (2001). Ultrasonographic imaging of the reproductive organs of the female bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus aduncas. Reproduction 121(3): 419-28. ISSN: 1470-1626.
NAL Call Number: QP251.J75
Abstract: Routine ultrasonographic examination of the reproductive tract was performed for periods of up to 10 years in ten female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus aduncas) in Hong Kong. The ovaries could be reliably and repeatedly identified, lying close to the body surface, in the angle formed by the rectus abdominus and hypaxialis lumborum muscles, and were most easily located by scanning in the transverse plane from the proximal end of the genital slit towards the head. The ovaries are ovoid, with a relatively hypoechoic cortex around a central echogenic mesovarium. The echogenicity of the ovarian parenchyma appeared to increase with increasing age. This may be the result of age-related changes, such as increased fat deposition or fibrosis, or of ovarian 'scars' from multiple ovulations. Small antral follicles, developing follicles and corpora lutea can be identified within the ovarian cortex. Owing to its shape and lack of a definitive border, plus the close relationship to the intestines, the contents of which may obstruct the ultrasound beam, the non-pregnant uterus was not so easily visualized. The endometrium was poorly differentiated and difficult to see. To date, examination of the uterus using ultrasonography has provided little information about endometrial changes during the ovarian cycle in this group of dolphins. Real-time diagnostic ultrasonography provides a means to image the morphology of the reproductive organs in live female dolphins directly and provides a valuable means of assessing reproductive events in this species.
Descriptors: dolphins anatomy and histology, ovary ultrasonography, reproduction, uterus ultrasonography, aging, corpus luteum ultrasonography, gestational age, ovarian follicle ultrasonography, ovulation.
Brook, F.M., R. Kinoshita, and K. Benirschke (2002). Histology of the ovaries of a bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, of known reproductive history. Marine Mammal Science 18(2): 540-544. ISSN: 0824-0469.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Descriptors: Tursiops aduncus, reproductive techniques, reproductive history interpretation, reproduction, reproductive history, pregnancy, pregnancy number, ovary, ovarian histology, ovulation scarring and interpretations of reproductive history.
Brook, F.M., R. Kinoshita, B. Brown, and C. Metreweli (2000). Ultrasonographic imaging of the testis and epididymis of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus aduncas. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 119(2): 233-40. ISSN: 0022-4251.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Abstract: Eight male bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus aduncas, underwent examination of the reproductive organs to investigate the use of real-time B-mode ultrasonography in assessment of reproductive status and to establish normal ultrasonographic appearances. Ultrasonography allowed repeatable examinations which were well tolerated by all animals. Ultrasonography was used to examine the testes, epididymides, vasa deferentia, penis, bulbourethral and bulbocavernosal muscles; the prostate was not convincingly distinguished from surrounding muscles. Testicular echopatterns and size differed among individuals. Three distinct testicular echopatterns were discerned and could be used to differentiate males of different reproductive status. Ultrasonographic appearance of the testes provides useful data in assessing the reproductive status of male dolphins.
Descriptors: dolphins anatomy and histology, genitalia, male ultrasonography, sexual maturation physiology, dolphins physiology, epididymis ultrasonography, muscles ultrasonography, penis ultrasonography, testis ultrasonography, vas deferens ultrasonography.
Brook, F. (1994). Ultrasound diagnosis of anencephaly in the fetus of a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncas). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 25(4): 569-574. ISSN: 1042-7260.
NAL Call Number: SF601.J6
Abstract: A young female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncas) exhibited signs of lethargy and inappettance for 48 hr. Routine blood chemistry and physical evaluation were negative. Diagnostic ultrasonography was performed. The only finding was a viable pregnancy in the left uterine horn. The dolphin quickly regained normal health and behavior. Two weeks after the original examination, a detailed sonographic assessment of fetal morphology was performed. The fetal skull base appeared disproportionately small, and the cranium could not be identified; a severe neural tube defect was suspected. At term, an uncomplicated, spontaneous delivery produced a stillborn male anencephalic calf. This is the first report of anencephaly in a dolphin fetus and of the prenatal sonographic appearance of this fetal abnormality.
Descriptors: development, methods and techniques, nervous system, neural coordination, pathology, radiology, medical sciences, veterinary medicine, medical sciences, case study, diagnostic method, pathoanatomy.
Brook, F., E.H.T. Lim, F.H.C. Chua, and B. Mackay (2004). Assessment of the reproductive cycle of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis, using ultrasonography. Aquatic Mammals 30(1): 137-148. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Abstract: This project was aimed to collect data about the ovarian cycle of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis, using sonographic examination of the ovaries and serum hormone level assessment. The ovaries of two nonpregnant females were assessed at least once weekly, and one pregnant female was assessed when possible. A total of 15 normal ovarian cycles, one episode of follicular atresia, and one episode of a luteinized cystic follicle were detected using ultrasonography and serum progesterone levels. Two more cycles were detected on serum progesterone levels but not on ultrasonography. The mean ovarian cycle, mean follicular phase, mean follicle diameter measured just before ovulation, mean luteal phase, and average diameter of the corpus luteum were determined. Data showed an irregular pattern of ovarian cycling, varying between and within subjects. Serum progesterone and estradiol levels were measured one to three times per month in two females and intermittently in one other female. Recorded progesterone and estradiol levels during the follicular phase, luteal phase, and anestrus are reported. Progesterone levels during pregnancy are also included.
Descriptors: reproductive system, reproduction, follicular atresia, reproductive system disease, female, diagnosis, epidemiology, luteinized cystic follicle, ultrasonography, imaging and microscopy techniques, mean follicle diameter, mean follicular phase, mean luteal phase, mean ovarian cycle, ovarian cycle, pregnancy, reproductive physiology.
Brook, F.M. and R.E. Kinoshita (2005). Controlled unassisted breeding of captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus, using ultrasonography. Aquatic Mammals 31(1): 89-95. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Abstract: Ultrasonographic monitoring of folliculogenesis and prediction of ovulation was used for ten years to control breeding in a group of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) at Ocean Park, Hong Kong, where male and female dolphins were housed separately from 1991. When folliculogenesis was identified in a selected female, the cycle was monitored until ovulation was predicted within the next 12 to 24 h; a male was selected and then placed with the female overnight.Ultrasonography was repeated the next morning to determine ovulation. If ovulation had occurred, the animals were separated; if not, the pair remained together until ovulation was confirmed. Ultrasonography was subsequently used to monitor the development of the corpus luteum and to identify pregnancy. This procedure was conducted 11 times between 1993 and 2003.In nine cases, ovulation was predicted accurately and occurred within 24 hours. In two cases, ovulation occurred within two to four days of the predicted date. In ten cases, pregnancy ensued. To date, nine calves have been born live after gestation lengths of 349-382 days.
Descriptors: veterinary medicine, medical sciences, radiology, medical sciences, reproduction, controlled unassisted breeding, applied and field techniques, ultrasonography, laboratory techniques, diagnostic techniques, imaging and microscopy techniques, pregnancy, ovulation, folliculogenesis.
Burnell, S.R. (2001). Aspects of the reproductive biology, movements and site fidelity of right whales off Australia. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management (Special Issue 2): 89-102. ISSN: 1561-073X.
Descriptors: behavior, reproduction, wildlife management, inter calf interval, migration movements, reproductive biology, sex ratio, site fidelity, weaning age, right whales. Australia.
Carter, A.M. and A.C. Enders (2004). Comparative aspects of trophoblast development and placentation. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2(1): 46. ISSN: 1477-7827.
Abstract: Based on the number of tissues separating maternal from fetal blood, placentas are classified as epitheliochorial, endotheliochorial or hemochorial. We review the occurrence of these placental types in the various orders of eutherian mammals within the framework of the four superorders identified by the techniques of molecular phylogenetics. The superorder Afrotheria diversified in ancient Africa and its living representatives include elephants, sea cows, hyraxes, aardvark, elephant shrews and tenrecs. Xenarthra, comprising armadillos, anteaters and sloths, diversified in South America. All placentas examined from members of these two oldest superorders are either endotheliochorial or hemochorial. The superorder Euarchontoglires includes two sister groups, Glires and Euarchonta. The former comprises rodents and lagomorphs, which typically have hemochorial placentas. The most primitive members of Euarchonta, the tree shrews, have endotheliochorial placentation. Flying lemurs and all higher primates have hemochorial placentas. However, the lemurs and lorises are exceptional among primates in having epitheliochorial placentation. Laurasiatheria, the last superorder to arise, includes several orders with epitheliochorial placentation. These comprise whales, camels, pigs, ruminants, horses and pangolins. In contrast, nearly all carnivores have endotheliochorial placentation, whilst bats have endotheliochorial or hemochorial placentas. Also included in Laurasiatheria are a number of insectivores that have many conserved morphological characters; none of these has epitheliochorial placentation. Consideration of placental type in relation to the findings of molecular phylogenetics suggests that the likely path of evolution in Afrotheria was from endotheliochorial to hemochorial placentation. This is also a likely scenario for Xenarthra and the bats. We argue that a definitive epitheliochorial placenta is a secondary specialization and that it evolved twice, once in the Laurasiatheria and once in the lemurs and lorises.
Descriptors: placenta growth and development, trophoblasts metabolism.
Clapham, P.J. (2000). The humpback whale: seasonal feeding and breeding in a baleen whale. In: J. Mann, R.C. Connor, P.L. Tyack and H. Whitehead (Editors), Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, Chicago University Press: Chicago & London, p. 173-196. ISBN: 0226503410.
NAL Call Number: QL737.C4C39 2000
Descriptors: Megaptera novaeangliae, literature review, field studies, reproduction, social behavior, migration.
Clark, S.T. and D.K. Odell (1999). Allometric relationships and sexual dimorphism in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca). Journal of Mammalogy 80(3): 777-785. ISSN: 0022-2372.
NAL Call Number: 410 J823
Descriptors: whales, allometry, sexual dimorphism, Orcinus orca, relationships.
Clark, S.T. and D.K. Odell (1999). Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca). Zoo Biology 18(5): 373-384. ISSN: 0733-3188.
Online: http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0733-3188/
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: whales, lactating females, suckling, lactation stage, feeding frequency, sex differences, lactation number.
Clarke, R. and O. Paliza (1994). Sperm whales of the southeast Pacific. Part V. The dorsal fin callus. Investigations on Cetacea 25(0): 9-91. ISSN: 1010-3635.
Abstract: This paper discusses the incidence of the dorsal fin callus on 1473 male and 1204 female sperm whales examined at four whaling stations in the Southeast Pacific between 1959 and 1962. In the aggregate the callus was present in 7.60% of males and 32.64% of females, but the incidence decreased with increasing latitude, in females from Paita to Pisco to Iquique to Talcahuano, and in immature males from Paita to Iquique. The callus does not occur in foetal whales nor in calves, but first appears shortly before sexual maturity in females and probably shortly before puberty in males. Incidence of the callus decreases from immature through puberal to sexually mature males; the callus is disappearing around social maturity and has disappeared in males by time they reach 24 years. On the other hand females up to 39 years bear the callus. We agree with KASUYA and OHSUMI (1966) that the callus is associated with the sexual cycle in females. We propose that oestrogens present in immature and mature animals of both sexes are primarily responsible for development of the callus. In both sexes there is a correlation between the season of lowest incidence of the callus (June to August) and the season of least activity in pairing and calving combined. From this and other evidence it is argued that the callus is a cyclic phenomenon, governed mainly by hormone levels, and is a relic of a skin moulting cycle in the sperm whale. On these lines we attempt to interpret the macroscopic appearance of the callus, externally and in transverse section. We propose that moulting of the callus in the sperm whale is an annual event, of protracted duration, but is greatest between June and August in the Southeast Pacific. We argue that the callus lasts longer in females than in males, which partially explains the lower incidence of the callus in males. Moulting in cetaceans has only previously been recorded in beluga whales (ST. AUBIN, SMITH and GERACI, 1990). Some of those engaged in 'benign' research have assumed that sperm whales bearing a callus observed at sea are all or mostly all females and so can be distinguished from small males. This assumption is now invalid, but we suggest that a mathematician might use the data presented here to work out correction factors, which would depend on season and on latitude, to make reasonable estimates which distinguish the numbers of females from the numbers of small males observed. A note is added to show that the sperm whale, alone among the Cetacea, bears no external hair at any time throughout its life history.
Descriptors: biosynchronization, chemical coordination and homeostasis, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, female, gender differences, male, molting, sexual cycle, sexual maturity.
Clarke, R., O. Paliza, and L.A. Aguayo (1994). Sperm whales of the southeast Pacific. Part VI. Growth and breeding in the male. Investigations on Cetacea 25(0): 93-224. ISSN: 1010-3635.
Abstract: The carcases of 1473 male sperm whales, biologically examined in Chile and Peru between 1959 and 1962, provide the material for this report. After discussing copulation and the sperm whale penis, five parameters of the testes are investigated with regard to whale length and age and to seasonal variation. It is suggested that the left and right testes may function alternately in the sperm whale. In the Southeast Pacific male sperm whales achieve to puberty, sexual maturity, social maturity and physical maturity at about the same age but at greater body lengths than males in other oceans. This is ascribed to the vast abundance of the squid Dosidicus gigas, virtually the only food of sperm whales in the Humboldt Current. A peak in Leydig cell diameters just before the main pairing season is the only evidence for a sexual cycle in male sperm whales; Leydig cells are considered to be the motor which starts and maintains sexual fighting between males. From catch statistics and whales examined between 1959 and 1980 at Paita, we argue that in a stock where large males have not been depleted by selective overfishing, these are the bulls which serve the females, but, when large males have been depleted and the pregnancy rate falls, there comes a time when medium-sized males can break into the female schools with subsequent recovery of the pregnancy rate. A comparative study of relative penis size and testes weight and of the structure of the female vagina, in the sperm whale and in other mammals (including other cetacea), concludes that the sperm whale does not exhibit sperm competition. There is evidence that in the Southeast Pacific between 1959 and 1962 the male sperm whale underwent a climacteric at about 16.5 m, around the length (15.5-16.4) and the age (43 years) at physical maturity, after which fertility declined.
Descriptors: biosynchronization, climatology, development, marine ecology, environmental sciences, mathematical biology, computational biology, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, copulation, genital morphology, seasonality, sexual cycle, statistics.
Coakes, A.K. and H. Whitehead (2004). Social structure and mating system of sperm whales off northern Chile. Canadian Journal of Zoology 82(8): 1360-1369. ISSN: 0008-4301.
NAL Call Number: 470 C16D
Abstract: We studied the social structure and mating system of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus L., 1758) off northern Chile over 10 months in 2000, photographically identifying 898 individuals. The mean size of encountered groups of females with immatures was about 23 animals, while the estimated mean size of units (sets of females and immatures with permanent relationships) was 11 animals. About 4% of the population consisted of large mature males, although this varied seasonally. Groups of females and immatures, as well as large males, spent only a matter of days within the study area at a time. There was no evidence for preferred ranges for the males, for males consistently accompanying particular groups, or for males forming coalitions. Males roved between the groups of females and immatures. Both mature males and females or immatures appeared to take the initiative in maintaining or breaking close associations. These results are similar to those from studies off the Galapagos Islands, even though the habitat, nonsocial behaviour, and relative abundance of mature males were quite different in the two areas.
Descriptors: Physeter macrocephalus, reproductive behavior, social behavior, population density, north Pacific and south Pacific, north Pacific, Galapagos Islands, south Pacific, Chile and Galapagos Islands, population densities, reproductive and social behavior.
Collet, A.S. (1982). Utilisation de la morphologie des os pelviens pour l' etude de la reproduction chez Delphinus delphis L. [dimorphisme sexuel]. [Pelvic bones morphology and its use in the study of Delphinus delphis L. reproduction [sexual dimorphism]]. Mammalia 46(4): 531-539. ISSN: 0025-1461.
NAL Call Number: 410 M31
Descriptors: pelvic bones, morphology, study, Delphinus, reproduction, sexual dimorphism.
Language of Text: French and English summaries.
Connor, R.C., A.J. Read and R. Wrangham (2000). Male reproductive strategies and social bonds. In: J. Mann, R.C. Connor, P.L. Tyack and H. Whitehead (Editors), Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, Chicago University Press: Chicago & London, p. 247-269. ISBN: 0226503410.
NAL Call Number: QL737.C4C39 2000
Descriptors: Cetacea, literature review, reproduction, male strategies, social behavior, male social bonds, review.
Dancis, J., H. Schneider, and J.C. Challier (1985). Nutrition of the placenta and the fetus. Current Concepts in Nutrition 14: 59-72. ISSN: 0090-0443.
NAL Call Number: QP141.A1C8
Descriptors: fetus metabolism, nutrition, placenta metabolism, newborn growth and development, newborn metabolism, birth weight, blood circulation, cats, dogs, fetus physiology, guinea pigs, mammals physiology, maternal fetal exchange, mice, oxygen consumption, rabbits, rats, reptiles embryology, sheep, species specificity, whales growth and development.
Danilewicz, D. (2003). Reproduction of female franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 2(2): 67-78. ISSN: 1676-7497.
Abstract: In this paper, the reproductive biology of female franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei) is described based on a sample of 97 individuals collected in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Data were collected from dolphins incidentally by-caught by the commercial fleet of Rio Grande and Tramandaf or stranded in the northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul. Age was estimated by counting the growth layer groups present in the dentin and cementum of the teeth. The female reproductive status was determined through the analysis of the ovaries, mammary glands and uterus. The large majority of the recorded ovulations occurred in the left ovary (88%). There was no evidence that the corpus luteum (CL) increases its size as gestation progresses, and there is a considerable individual variation in CL size in females of different stages of pregnancy. The reproduction of the franciscana is markedly seasonal and the species present a typical birth-pulse pattern in Rio Grande do Sul. Births begin abruptly in October and decrease gradually until February. Length and weight at birth was estimated at 73.4cm and 6.lkg, respectively, and the gestation period lasts 11.2 months. Mating and conception should occur between November and March. Sexual maturity in females is attained between 2 and 5 years. Estimation of mean age at sexual maturity was calculated as 3.7 years (CI 95%=3.0-4.4 years) by the DeMaster method and 3.5 years by the logistic equation. Length and weight at sexual maturity were 138.9cm (Cl 95%=132.8-145.1) and 32.8kg (CI 95%=29.9-35.7), respectively. Annual pregnancy rate in Rio Grande do Sul was estimated to be 0.66, with a calving interval of 1.5 years. Due to its low age at sexual maturity, short calving interval and brief lifespan, the franciscana is one of the cetacean species with the fastest life history traits. There is no evidence of reproductive senescence and franciscanas seem to remain reproductively active throughout life.
Descriptors: Pontoporia blainvillei, age, size, fetal length, length at birth and corpora lutea diameter, weight, ovary weight, reproduction, pregnancy, annual pregnancy rate and gestation rate, sexual maturation, ovary, ovary weight and corpora lutea diameter, reproductive productivity, south Atlantic, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, female reproductive biology.
Danilewicz, D., J.A. Claver, A.L. Perez Carrera, E.R. Secchi, and N.F. Fontoura (2004). Reproductive biology of male franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei) (Mammalia: Cetacea) from Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Fishery Bulletin (Seattle) 102(4): 581-592. ISSN: 0090-0656.
Abstract: The reproductive biology of male franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei), based on 121 individuals collected in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil, was studied. Estimates on age, length, and weight at attainment of sexual maturity are presented. Data on the reproductive seasonality and on the relationship between some testicular characteristics and age, size, and maturity status are provided. Sexual maturity was assessed by histological examination of the testes. Seasonality was determined by changes in relative and total testis weight, and in seminiferous tubule diameters. Testis weight, testicular index of maturity, and seminiferous tubule diameters were reliable indicators of sexual maturity, whereas testis length, age, length, and weight of the dolphin were not. Sexual maturity was estimated to be attained at 3.6 years (CI 95%=2.7-4.5) with the DeMaster method and 3.0 years with the logistic equation. Length and weight at attainment of sexual maturity were 128.2 cm (CI 95%=125.3-131.1 cm) and 26.4 kg (CI 95%=24.7-28.1 kg), respectively. It could not be verified that there was any seasonal change in the testis weight and in the seminiferous tubule diameters in mature males. It is suggested that at least some mature males may remain reproductively active throughout the year. The extremely low relative testis weight indicates that sperm competition does not occur in the species. On the other hand, the absence of secondary sexual characteristics, the reversed sexual size dimorphism, and the small number of scars from intrassexual combats in males reinforce the hypothesis that male combats for female reproductive access may be rare for franciscana. It is hypothesized that P. blainvillei form temporary pairs (one male copulating with only one female) during the reproductive period.
Descriptors: Pontoporia blainvillei, reproduction, male biology, south Atlantic, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, male reproductive biology.
Dawson, S.D. (1994). Allometry of cetacean forelimb bones. Journal of Morphology 222(2): 215-221. ISSN: 0362-2525.
NAL Call Number: 444.8 J826
Abstract: This study examines the allometric scaling relationships of the cetacean humerus, radius, and ulna. Bone lengths and diameters were measured for 20 species of odontocete and three species of mysticete cetaceans, representing eight of the nine extant cetacean families. The scaling of individual bone proportions (bone length vs. cranio-caudal diameter, bone length vs. dorso-ventral diameter), and of individual bone dimensions against estimated body mass, are compared to models of geometric and elastic similarity. The geometric similarity model describes the scaling relationship of bone length vs. cranio-caudal diameter and body mass vs. cranio-caudal diameter for the humerus only; geometric similarity also describes the scaling relationship of body mass vs. bone length for all three bones. None of the scaling relationships fits the elastic similarity model. The scaling relationships of bone length vs. dorso-ventral diameter for all three bones, and bone length vs. cranio-caudal diameter for the radius and ulna, exhibit negative allometry, indicating that large bones are less robust than small bones. Negative allometry of structural support elements has not been previously described for terrestrial mammals or plants. The high relative swimming speeds of small delphinids may generate sufficient stresses to require more robust bones relative to those of larger whales.
Descriptors: physiology, skeletal system, movement and support, bone size, humerus, radius, scaling relationships, swimming speeds, ulna.
Desportes, G., J.H. Kristensen, D. Benham, S. Wilson, T. Jepson, U. Siebert, B. Korsgaard, J. Driver, M. Amundin, K. Hansen, and G. Shephard (2003). Multiple insights into the reproductive function of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): an ongoing study. North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) Scientific Publications 5: 91-106. ISSN: 1560-2206.
Abstract: The harbour porpoises kept at the Fjord & Baelt since April 1997 offer a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of the reproductive function in harbour porpoises, especially in terms of physiological cycle and concomitant behavioural traits. A study was initiated in 1997 with the following aims: 1) characterising the annual reproductive cycle in terms of behaviour and endocrine activity; 2) finding the most suitable techniques for a longitudinal investigation of the reproductive function, in particular with respect of the small size of the species; 3) ensuring a precise monitoring of the reproductive state of the Fjord & Bµlt porpoises; 4) evaluating the best techniques for a vertical assessment of the reproductive state in wild harbour porpoises; 5) providing comparative basis for toxicological studies. Three harbour porpoises have participated in the study: a male and a female estimated 2-3 old years at their arrival at the Centre in 1997, and a one-year old female. The different methods for investigating their reproductive function include techniques not previously used with harbour porpoises, such as behavioural observation, measurement of sexual hormones in blood and other matrices, vaginal cytology, body temperature, and ultrasound scanning of testes and ovaries. These methods are discussed in terms of practicality and invasiveness. Selected examples of the preliminary results obtained are reported. Projects have concentrated on the sexual behaviour of the adult male and female (frequency, initiative, courtship behaviours) and their hormonal correlates, as well as on the interaction of the juvenile with the 2 adult animals. Behavioural sexual activity is very seasonal (peaking at the end of July and August), as is the testosterone cycle (levels increasing from less than 1ng/ml to 30ng/ml in May) and the development of the testis (peaking in July-August). Progesterone and oestrogen levels vary between less than 1 to 17ng/ml and less than 0.1 to 1.8 ng/ml respectively, but infrequent blood sampling precluded obtaining a detailed picture of the ovarian cycle. We are attempting to measure sexual hormones in saliva and eye secretion. Successful matings have been confirmed by the presence of sperm on vaginal smears in 4 consecutive summers, but no pregnancy has occurred yet.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, hormones, sex steroids, reproduction, annual reproductive cycle, physiological and behavioral functions, captive study.
Desportes, G., M. Saboureau, and A. Lacroix (1994). Growth-related changes in testicular mass and plasma testosterone concentrations in long-finned pilot whales, Globicephala melas. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 102(1): 237-44. ISSN: 0022-4251.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Abstract: Blood samples and testes were collected from long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) off the Faroe Islands at irregular intervals over a period of 3 years (July 1986-December 1989). Changes in testis mass (n = 674) and plasma testosterone concentrations (n = 214), measured by radioimmunoassay, were examined with respect to age, bodylength and bodymass of the animals. Corresponding to a rapid testicular growth (from 0.25 kg up to 1.9 kg), puberty occurred in male pilot whales of 4.6-5.7 m in bodylength, 1.2-1.9 tonnes in bodymass and 11-22 years of age. Changes in plasma testosterone concentrations confirmed this result, with very low values (< 2 ng ml-1) in immature animals (testis mass < 0.2 kg), followed by a sharp increase (from 2 to 29 ng ml-1) during the pubertal period, and the maintenance of high concentrations with large variability (> 1.5 ng ml-1 to 14 ng ml-1) in mature males. Testosterone concentrations were significantly correlated with testis mass (P < 0.001), but not with bodylength or age, and very large individual variations were observed in mature males. The average age, length and mass at the attainment of sexual maturity were estimated at 16.99 +/- 0.30 years, 5.162 +/- 0.013 m and 1.403 +/- 0.005 tonnes, respectively.
Descriptors: sexual maturation physiology, testis growth and development, testosterone blood, whales growth and development, body constitution physiology, body weight physiology, testis anatomy and histology, whales blood.
Duffield, D.A., D.K. Odell, J.F. McBain, and B. Andrews (1995). Killer whale (Orcinus orca) reproduction at Sea World. Zoo Biology 14(5): 417-430. ISSN: 0733-3188.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: whales, zoo animals, sexual reproduction, reproductive traits, progesterone, breeding programs, Cetacea, gestation period, pregnancy, female fertility, blood chemistry, blood serum.
Ferrero, R.C. and W.A. Walker (1995). Growth and reproduction of the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis linnaeus, in the offshore waters of the north Pacific Ocean. U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Fishery Bulletin 93(3): 483-494. ISSN: 0090-0656.
NAL Call Number: 157.5 B87
Abstract: A total of 707 common dolphins, Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, (376 males and 331 females) taken in Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese drift nets in the central North Pacific Ocean from February to November 1990 and 1991 were examined. Sex, total length, date, and location of capture were recorded. Biological samples were collected from 152 of the dolphins examined (93 males and 59 females). Ages were determined by counting dentinal layers. Female reproductive status was determined by macroscopic examination of ovaries (n = 43). Eight females were mature, two were pregnant, three were resting, two were lactating, and one was of unknown condition. Testes and epididymes were examined for evidence of spermatogenesis (n = 70); 21 males were mature. A preliminary estimate of gestation period was 11.1 months. The sex ratio appeared to favor males; segregation during the sampling period may be responsible for differences from 1.0. Male average age at sexual maturation was estimated to be 10.5 years. The largest sexually immature male was 179 cm; the smallest sexually mature was 182 cm. Mature testis weights ranged from 273.2 g to 1,190 g. Females reached sexual maturation at about 8.0 years; estimates of length at sexual maturation were 172.8 and 170.7 cm. Predicted asymptotic lengths for males and females were 188.1 cm and 179.4 cm, respectively. Calving appeared to peak in May and June. Sampling effort moved northward through September; infrequent sampling of parturient females and neonates during the projected calving mode suggests they were segregated outside the fishing area at that time.
Descriptors: biosynchronization, dental and oral system, ingestion and assimilation, development, ecology, environmental sciences, marine ecology, ecology, environmental sciences, reproductive system, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, age at sexual maturation, calving, dentinal layer, female, male, reproductive status, sex ratio, testis weight, total length.
Fleming, A.D., R. Yanagimachi, and H. Yanagimachi (1981). Spermatozoa of the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 63(2): 509-514. ISSN: 0022-4251.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Descriptors: spermatozoa, bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops.
Frodello, J.P., D. Viale, and B. Marchand (2002). Metal concentrations in the milk and tissues of a nursing Tursiops truncatus female. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44(6): 551-4. ISSN: 0025-326X.
NAL Call Number: GC1000.M3
Abstract: Metal concentrations measured in the organs of beached whales are published regularly. Few of these, however, describe metal levels in nursing females. In the present study, mercury, lead, copper and zinc levels were measured in the milk and tissues of a female Bottlenose dolphin. Results reveal that metal pollutants pass from the tissue into the milk.
Descriptors: copper analysis, dolphins physiology, lactation, lead analysis, milk chemistry, water pollutants analysis, zinc analysis, copper pharmacokinetics, environmental exposure, lead pharmacokinetics, reference values, tissue distribution, zinc pharmacokinetics.
Fukui, Y., T. Mogoe, H. Ishikawa, and S. Ohsumi (1997). Factors affecting in vitro maturation of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) follicular oocytes. Biology of Reproduction 56(2): 523-8. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Abstract: Factors affecting in vitro maturation (IVM) of minke whale (Balaenopetra acutorostrata) follicular oocytes were investigated. In experiment 1, recovery rates for oocytes from follicles of different sizes (small, 1-5 mm; medium, 6-10 mm; large, > or = 11 mm) were similar in both immature (54.7%) and mature (53.5%) females, and the follicular sizes did not affect recovery rate. Approximately half the oocytes recovered from small follicles in immature (55.5%) and mature (52.1%) whales were surrounded by at least a few layers of cumulus cells. Before culture, 71.7% and 61.2% of oocytes from immature and mature whales, respectively, were at the germinal vesicle stage. For IVM, effects of serum type, hormones, and additional cumulus cells (experiment 2) and effects of culture durations (24-120 h, experiment 3) were investigated. The three factors investigated in experiment 2 did not affect maturation rates. TCM199 supplemented with fetal whale serum, hormones, and additional cumulus cells showed the highest rate (21.6%) of matured oocytes and resulted in a significant difference from the rate in medium with only fetal calf serum added (6.6%). The first oocyte with an extruded polar body was observed after 84 h of culture. The maximum rate (27.3%) of matured oocytes was obtained by 96 h of culture, but there was no significant difference in the proportions of matured oocytes between 90 and 120 h in culture. These results indicate that in vitro nuclear maturation of immature follicular oocytes in minke whales can be induced.
Descriptors: oocytes growth and development, ovarian follicle cytology, whales, cell nucleus ultrastructure, cells, cultured, coculture techniques, culture media, oocytes ultrastructure, time factors.
Fukui, Y. (2002). In vitro maturation and fertilization of minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, follicular oocytes. In: C.J. Pfeiffer (Editor), Molecular and Cell Biology of Marine Mammals, Kreiger Publishing Company: Malabar, p. 344-355. ISBN: 1575240629.
Descriptors: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, reproductive techniques, follicular oocytes in vitro maturation and fertilization, oogenesis, follicular oocytes, fertilization.
Furuta, M., O. Tsukada, T. Kataoka, and S. Kitamura (1977). On the birth of finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoises, in captivity. Journal of Japanese Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums 18(2): 43-48.
Descriptors: finless porpoise, birth, captivity, Neophocaena phocaenoises, Japan.
Language of Text: English summary.
Gambell, R. (1973). Some effects of exploitation on reproduction in whales. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 19(Suppl.): 533-53. ISSN: 0449-3087.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Descriptors: Cetacea physiology, fisheries, reproduction, age factors, Antarctic regions, birth rate, corpus luteum, Indian Ocean islands, ovarian follicle, ovulation, population density, puberty.
Goldin, P.E. (2004). Growth and body size of the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (Cetacea, Phocoenidae), in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Vestnik Zoologii 38(4): 59-73, 96. ISSN: 0084-5604.
NAL Call Number: QL1.V4
Abstract: Postnatal growth, some aspects of life history, and body size of harbour porpoise were studied. The mean body length of neonates is 72.5 cm; the calving season lasts at least from April to August. The maximum life span is at least 20 years; the age at attainment of sexual maturity is 3-4 years, of physical maturity - 6-12 years. The mean body length of adult males and females is 132-135 cm and 143-145 cm respectively in the Sea of Azov, 122-124 cm and 132-134 cm in the Black Sea. The question still remains of the existence of two growth stages in postnatal ontogenesis of harbour porpoises. It seems reasonable to distinguish two stages, each with decreasing growth rate. The first evidences are found for the existence of separate populations in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea: adult specimens from the Sea of Azov are larger than those from the Black Sea in 10-12 cm. During the 20th century body size of the animals has somewhat reduced. The harbour porpoises in the studied region are at present the smallest representatives of P. phocoena species.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, size, sexual maturation, young development, growth rate, young growth and physical maturation, body size correlations, geographical differences, Azov Sea and Black Sea, size variation, Azov Sea, Black Sea, young growth rate and body size geographical differences, related factors.
Halldorsson, S.D. and G.A. Wikingsson (2003). Analysis of seasonal changes in reproductive organs from Icelandic harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) Scientific Publications 5: 121-142. ISSN: 1560-2206.
Abstract: this study, we analyse some aspects of the macro- and microscopical appearance of gonads of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Icelandic coastal waters. Sampling of animals bycaught in gillnets took place in the years 1991 to 1997 and covered the months from September to June. The differences in diameter of seminiferous tubules between samples from the peripheral and central parts of the testis indicate that histological changes associated with maturity begin in the core of the testis. The average tubule diameter was 49, 78 and 118 [mu]m in immature, pubertal and mature animals respectively. The tubule size increased from 55 to 95 [mu]m, coinciding with combined testis weight of 75 to 150 g, indicating the onset of puberty within this range of tubule size and testis weight. The estimated average diameter of tubules when an animal reaches maturity is 82.2[mu]m or 86.15[mu]m depending on the method used. The diameter of seminiferous tubules of mature and pubertal animals varies seasonally with a steady increase in the spring. However, lack of samples after mid-June makes estimation of the exact timing of mating impossible. In females, the follicle size of mature and immature animals of age 2 years and older shows seasonal variation, increasing in late winter or spring. The corpus luteum increases in size during the late pregnancy. The average size of the corpus albicans as a function of the total number of corpora albicantia for each animal, diminishes following the logarithmic equation y = 4.49 û 0.447 + lnx (y = corpus size, x = number of corpora albicantia) but apparently they never disappear completely from the ovary. Ovarian activity was almost confined to the left ovary. Our results indicate parturition and copulation in the summer months from late June to August.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, ovary, testis, breeding season, north Atlantic, Iceland, testis and ovary, seasonal changes, reproductive cycle implications.
Hamilton, P.K., M.K. Marx, and S.D. Kraus (1995). Weaning in north atlantic right whales. Marine Mammal Science 11(3): 386-390. ISSN: 0824-0469.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Descriptors: development, nutrition, reproductive system, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, photographic identification, reproduction.
Harms, C.A. (1993). Composition of prepartum mammary secretions of two bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus L.). Journal of Wildlife Diseases 29(1): 94-7. ISSN: 0090-3558.
NAL Call Number: 41.9 W64B
Abstract: Mammary secretions from two bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus L.) females carrying near-term fetuses were analyzed for dry matter, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy content. Protein values ranged from 75.9% to 97.3% of dry matter. Fat ranged from 0.6% to 9.1% of dry matter. A protein corresponding to beta-lactoglobulin on gel filtration chromatography was the predominant whey protein. Neutralizing antibodies to nine caliciviruses were detected in one sample. Composition of these two samples differs from previous reports for cetacean milk, perhaps due to the stage of lactation.
Descriptors: colostrum chemistry, mammary glands, animal secretion, pregnancy, animal metabolism, whales metabolism, antibodies, viral analysis, caliciviridae immunology, colostrum immunology, lipids analysis, milk proteins analysis, milk proteins chemistry, orthomyxoviridae immunology.
Harrison, R.J., R.C. Boice, and R.L. Brownell (1969). Reproduction and gonadal changes in some wild and captive odontocetes. Journal of Anatomy 104(1): 197-8. ISSN: 0021-8782.
NAL Call Number: 447.8 J826
Descriptors: Cetacea anatomy and histology, gonads anatomy and histology, reproduction, dolphins, ovary anatomy and histology, ovulation, testis anatomy and histology.
Harrison, R.J. and R.L. Brownell Jr. (1971). The gonads of the South American dolphins, Inia geoffrensis, Pontoporia blainvillei, and Sotalia fluviatilis. Journal of Mammalogy 52(2): 413-9. ISSN: 0022-2372.
Descriptors: dolphins growth and development, gonads growth and development, ovary growth and development, reproduction, species specificity, testis growth and development.
Hobson, B.M. and L. Wide (1986). Gonadotrophin in the term placenta of the dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the Californian sea lion (Zalophus californianus), the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and man. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 76(2): 637-44. ISSN: 0022-4251.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Abstract: Chorionic gonadotrophin activity in extracts of the term placenta of a dolphin, a sea lion and a grey seal was measured by its effectiveness in increasing uterine weight in the mouse and by solid-phase RIA using hCG as immunogen and labelled antigen. Bioreactive (B) gonadotrophin was found in these placentae and, compared to the human term placenta, the concentration of CG in the dolphin was higher, in the sea lion similar and in the grey seal lower. The biological activity in each species was neutralized with a rabbit anti-hCG serum. All placental extracts contained material active in the hCG immunoassay (I). The ratio B/I was significantly higher for the CG in the placental extracts of the marine mammals compared with that of the human term placenta. Results of in-vivo bioassay, RIA, electrophoretic and gel-chromatographic studies indicate structural similarities between CG in the placentae of the marine mammals and human CG.
Descriptors: chorionic gonadotropin analysis, dolphins metabolism, Pinnipedia metabolism, placenta analysis, sea lions metabolism, biological assay, chromatography, gel, electrophoresis, agar gel, mice, radioimmunoassay.
Holt, W.V., J. Waller, A. Moore, P.D. Jepson, R. Deaville, and P.M. Bennett (2004). Smooth muscle actin and vimentin as markers of testis development in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Journal of Anatomy 205(3): 201-211. ISSN: 0021-8782.
Abstract: Testicular development in the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena was examined using animals (n = 192) stranded or by-caught off the coast of England, Wales and Scotland. Classification of animals according to their stage of sexual development was undertaken using gonadal morphology and the distribution of cytoskeletal proteins. Smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin proved particularly useful in this respect; SMA was prominent in the myoid peritubular cells of the adult testis, and two stages of peritubular cell SMA expression could be recognized ('absent' or 'incomplete'). The initial appearance of SMA in peritubular cells was associated with significant increases in body length and body weight (P 0.001), and occurred during the second year of life. Vimentin, which was prominent in prespermatogonia and spermatogonia, sometimes showed a polarized cytoplasmic distribution. This correlated with a developmental stage at which the seminiferous tubule epithelium becomes populated by germ cells (mean age 1.8 years). Several antibodies were tested for their utility as Sertoli cell markers, but none was found to be specific or useful. Nevertheless, immunohistochemical localization of desmin, GATA-4, Ki67 and androgen receptor was possible despite the poor quality of tissue preservation. This study showed that immunohistochemical classification of these individuals provides a robust basis for the recognition of key physiological stages of sexual development in the male harbour porpoise. This may provide an alternative to the estimation of age, body weight and body length in future analyses aimed at detecting possible adverse effects of environmental pollutants on the reproductive potential of wild marine mammals.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, proteins, smooth muscle actin and vimentin, spermatogenesis, testis, north Atlantic, United Kingdom, testicular development, smooth muscle actin and vimentin evaluation as markers.
Honda, M. (1980). Breeding the bottle-nosed dolphin, Tursiops gilli, at Enoshima Aquarium Marineland [Japan]. Journal of Japanese Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums 21(1): 4-9.
Descriptors: bottlenose dolphin, breeding, aquarium, Japan.
Hua Yuanyu and Zhang Jian (1995). Study on feeding and copulating behavior of black finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). Journal of Aquaculture (1): 19-21. ISSN: 1004-2091.
NAL Call Number: SH1.S68
Descriptors: porpoises, feed intake, copulation, survival, anhui, Asia, behavior, Cetacea, China, East Asia, feeding habits, fertilization, mammals, physiological functions, reproduction, sexual reproduction.
Language of Text: English and Italian summaries.
Iwayama, H., S. Hochi, M. Kato, M. Hirabayashi, M. Kuwayama, H. Ishikawa, S. Ohsumi, and Y. Fukui (2004). Effects of cryodevice type and donors' sexual maturity on vitrification of minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) oocytes at germinal vesicle stage. Zygote (Cambridge, England) 12(4): 333-8. ISSN: 0967-1994.
NAL Call Number: QH491.Z94
Abstract: Germinal-vesicle-stage oocytes enclosed with compact cumulus cell layers (COCs) were recovered from adult or prepubertal minke whale ovaries, and were vitrified in a solution containing 15% ethylene glycol, 15% DMSO and 0.5 M sucrose using either a Cryotop or an open-pulled straw (OPS) as the cryodevice. The post-warm COCs with normal morphology were cultured for 40 h in a 390 mosmol in vitro maturation medium, and oocytes extruding the first polar body were considered to be matured. The proportion of morphologically normal COCs after vitrification and warming was higher when the COCs were cryopreserved by Cryotop (adult origin, 88.4%; prepubertal origin, 80.8%) compared with the OPS (adult origin, 67.7%; prepubertal origin, 64.2%). The oocyte maturation rate was higher in the adult/Cryotop group (29.1%) compared with those of the prepubertal/Cryotop group (14.4%), the adult/OPS group (14.3%) and the prepubertal/OPS group (10.6%). These results indicate that the Cryotop is a better device than the OPS for vitrification of immature oocytes from adult minke whales.
Descriptors: cryopreservation instrumentation, oocytes, whales, age factors, analysis of variance, cryopreservation methods, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, sucrose.
Iwayama, H., H. Ishikawa, S. Ohsumi, and Y. Fukui (2005). Attempt at in vitro maturation of minke whale (Balaenoptera Bonaerensis) oocytes using a portable CO2 incubator. Journal of Reproduction and Development 51(1): 69-75. ISSN: 0916-8818.
NAL Call Number: SF1.K3
Abstract: The present study was conducted to investigate whether a portable CO2 incubator was effective for in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine, porcine and minke whale oocytes, and the effect of maturation media supplemented with different hormones; porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH), estradiol-17beta (E2), or pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG): human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for minke whale immature oocytes was also examined. In vitro maturation rates of bovine and porcine oocytes cultured in the portable CO2 incubator were not significantly different from the standard CO2 incubator. In minke whale IVM culture using the portable incubator, the maximum expansion of cumulus mass was observed by pFSH/E2 and PMSG/hCG at the end of IVM culture. Moreover, the IVM culture period was shortened to 28-30 h from 96-120 h previously reported. The proportion of matured oocytes cultured in the medium supplemented with pFSH/E2 (26.7%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that with PMSG/hCG (6.9%). The present study indicates that a portable CO2 incubator is a useful device for minke whale IVM culture on a research base ship, and the addition of pFSH/E2 into an IVM medium enhanced cumulus expansion and the proportion of minke whale matured oocytes.
Descriptors: carbon dioxide pharmacology, culture techniques, incubators, oocytes cytology, organ culture techniques methods, cattle, chorionic gonadotropin pharmacology, culture media pharmacology, estradiol pharmacology, follicle stimulating hormone pharmacology, gonadotropins, equine pharmacology, oocytes metabolism, ovary metabolism, swine, time factors, whales.
Jenness, R. and D.K. Odell (1978). Composition of milk of the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. B, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 61(3): 383-386.
Descriptors: milk, pygmy sperm whale, composition, Kogia breviceps.
Kastelein, R.A., J. Kershaw, E. Berghout, and P.R. Wiepkema (2003). Food consumption and suckling in killer whales Orcinus orca at Marineland Antibes. International Zoo Yearbook 38: 204-218. ISSN: 0074-9664.
NAL Call Number: QL76.I5
Descriptors: metabolism, nutrition, reproduction, energetics, food consumption, food intake, lactation, seasonal patterns, suckling, killer whales.
Kastelein, R.A. and J. Mosterd (1995). Improving parental care of a female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) by training. Aquatic Mammals 21(3): 165-169. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Descriptors: behavior, general life studies, reproductive system, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, veterinary medicine, medical sciences, behavior, oceanaria, reproductive success, ultrasound scanning.
Kastelein, R.A., C.A. van der Elst, H.K. Tennant, and P.R. Wiepkema (2000). Food consumption and growth of a female dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). Zoo Biology 19(2): 131-142. ISSN: 0733-3188.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: Lagenorhynchus obscurus, weight, body temperature, digestion, gastrointestinal passage time, feeding rate, growth and temperature relationships, digestive system, gastrointestine, growth rate, temperature.
Kasuya, T. (1977). Age determination and growth of the baird's beaked whale with a comment on the fetal growth rate. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute (29): 1-20.
Descriptors: beaked whale, growth, fetal growth, rate, age determination.
Language of Text: English summary.
Kasuya, T. and R.L. Brownell Jr. (1979). Age determination, reproduction, and growth of the Franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute (31): 45-67. ISSN: 0549-5717.
Descriptors: Franciscana dolphin, growth, reproduction, age determination, Pontoporia blainvillei.
Language of Text: English summary.
Kita, S., M. Yoshioka, and M. Kashiwagi (1999). Relationship between sexual maturity and serum and testis testosterone concentrations in short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus. Fisheries Science (Tokyo) 65(6): 878-883. ISSN: 0919-9268.
Descriptors: whales, sexual maturity, testosterone, blood serum, testes, androgens, animal glands, blood, body parts, Cetacea, developmental stages, endocrine glands, genital system, hormones, isoprenoids, male genital system, mammals, maturity, sex hormones, steroids, urogenital system.
Language of Text: English summary.
Kita, S., M. Yoshioka, M. Kashiwagi, S. Ogawa, and T. Tobayama (2001). Comparative external morphology of cetacean spermatozoa. Fisheries Science (Tokyo) 67(3): 482-492. ISSN: 0919-9268.
NAL Call Number: SH1.F8195
Descriptors: Cetacea, spermatozoa, animal morphology, microscopy, cells, gametes, mammals.
Language of Text: English summary.
Kjeld, M., G.A. Vikingsson, A. Alfredsson, O. Olafsson, and A. Arnason (2003). Sex hormone concentrations in the blood of sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) off Iceland. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 5(3): 233-240. ISSN: 1561-0713.
Abstract: Blood samples were collected postmortem at sea, from 195 sei whales (127 females and 68 males) caught southwest of Iceland between 1983 and 1988. The reproductive status of the whales was determined by anatomical/histological methods. The blood samples were measured by radioimmunoassays for progesterone (P), testosterone (T) and oestradiol concentrations, which were then related to the reproductive status, the length of the whales and the days of the hunting season. Serum P concentrations in females were found to be clustered mainly into two groups, one with values at or below the detection limit (0.1nmol/L) of the assay (Group I) and the other with values about two orders of magnitude higher (Group III) with intermediate values (Group II) in between. Anatomical results showed that Group I (n = 73) was largely a mixture of immature and anoestrous mature females. Group III (n = 39), with a significantly (p < 0.01) greater mean body length than Group I, had a distinct frequency distribution of serum P values with a mean (SD) concentration of 10.3nmol/L (4.1) and consisted predominantly of pregnant females. Many foetuses were lost at sea due to a slit in the abdomen for cooling purposes, but all 13 foetuses (1.5-3.7m in length) recovered belonged to females of Group III. Group II (n= 15) consisted mainly of anoestrous mature animals. When pregnancy was estimated by serum P values and sexual maturity by the anatomical findings, the apparent pregnancy rate of mature females was 0.37, agreeing reasonably with earlier reports. Male sei whales were classified into immature, pubertal and mature groups by anatomical/histological methods and had mean T concentrations (nmol/L, ranges) of 0.85, 0.1-4.5; 3.3, 0.1-14.7 and 4.8, 0.1-14.8, respectively. Serum T concentrations did not correlate significantly with body length in the groups but pubertal and mature males had significantly higher geometric mean T values than immature males. Mean serum T concentrations in males, classified as sexually mature by anatomical/histological methods, rose approximately 3.2-fold every 30 days during July-September indicating a seasonal breeding cycle. It is concluded that measurements of sex hormone concentrations in sei whales make a powerful addition to the earlier anatomical/histological methods for determination of reproductive status, not only corroborating them but apparently surpassing them in sensitivity of detecting pregnancy and cyclical changes in serum T values during the male reproductive cycle.
Descriptors: Balaenoptera borealis, hormones, sex hormones, reproduction, north Atlantic, Iceland, south west, reproductive biology, implications from sex hormone concentrations.
Kjeld, M., A. Alfredsson, O. Olafsson, M. Tryland, I. Christensen, S. Stuen, and A. Arnason (2004). Changes in blood testosterone and progesterone concentrations of the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during the feeding season. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61(2): 230-237. ISSN: 0706-652X.
Abstract: An opportunity to study seasonal changes of sex hormones in the North Atlantic minke whale (common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata) arose when we obtained access to fresh postmortem blood samples from 104 females and 83 males. The whales were caught in the North Atlantic during May-September 1992-1995. Serum progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) concentrations were measured and compared with anatomical data. The frequency distribution of female serum P values showed two clusters, one consisting mainly of immature animals and the second of pregnant ones, with mean serum values of about 0.49 [plus or minus] 0.04 (SE) and 44.2 [plus or minus] 2.84 nmol.L-1, respectively. The frequency distribution of male serum T did not show any group-specific distribution during the hunting season. The mean serum T value for the males was 0.63 [plus or minus] 0.13 nmol.L-1. Contrary to earlier reports on the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), serum T values rose during the hunting season in mature males (p < 0.0001). Serum P values in immature females increased during the season (p = 0.015). This increase agrees with the predominantly annual reproduction cycle of minke whales. Blood sex hormone measurements seem to be useful for detecting cyclic changes and pregnancy of minke whales.
Descriptors: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, plasma, serum, hormones, Arctic Ocean, Norway, Russia and Svalbard, progesterone and testosterone, serum concentrations, seasonal changes.
Knowlton, A.R., S.D. Kraus, and R.D. Kenney (1994). Reproduction in north atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). Canadian Journal of Zoology 72(7): 1297-1305. ISSN: 0008-4301.
NAL Call Number: 470 C16D
Abstract: The reproductive biology of the western North Atlantic right whale population was assessed using photoidentification techniques. From 1980 to 1992, 145 calves were born to 65 identified cows. There was no detectable trend in the number of calves produced per year. Mean age at first parturition was 7.57 years. The reproductively active female pool was static at approximately 51 animals from 1987 to 1992. Gross annual reproductive rate, population growth rate, and mortality rate were estimated to be 4.5, 2.5, and 2.0%, respectively. The population size was estimated to be 295 individuals in 1992. Mean calving interval, based on 86 records, was 3.67 years. significantly longer than the South African right whale population but not different from the Argentine population. There was an indication that calving intervals may be increasing over time, though the trend was not quite statistically significant (P = 0.083). Potential causes for the reduced growth rate of this population are unknown but include anthropogenic mortality, inbreeding depression resulting in reduced fecundity, competition for food from other species, climatic changes affecting food availability, and sublethal effects of toxic contaminants.
Descriptors: climatology, environmental sciences, development, ecology, environmental sciences, nutrition, reproductive system, reproduction, toxicology, climate, fecundity reduction, food competition, mortality, population growth rate, toxic contaminants.
Kraus, S.D., P.K. Hamilton, R.D. Kenney, A.R. Knowlton, and C.K. Slay (2001). Reproductive parameters of the North Atlantic right whale. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 2(Special Issue): 231-236. ISSN: 1561-073X.
Abstract: The north Atlantic right whale reproduction was assessed during 1980 through 1998. At the end of the assessment it was estimated that there were between 299 and 437 right whales alive, including 70 mature females. There was a significant decreasing trend in calves per mature female per year over the entire study period. The mean age at first calving is 9.53 years. Mean annual calving intervals have increased significantly during the study period from 3.67 years to over 5 years. Although the North Atlantic population is affected by significant anthropogenic mortality, diminishing reproductive rates are probably also responsible for the plight of this species.
Descriptors: Eubalaena glacialis, reproduction, parameters, Atlantic Ocean, north Atlantic, reproductive parameters.
Kraus, S.D. and J.J. Hatch (2001). Mating strategies in the north Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 2(Special Issue): 237-244. ISSN: 1561-073X.
Descriptors: behavior, communication, reproduction, wildlife management, conservation, photo identification, identification method, underwater recordings, recording method, videotaping, imaging method, courtship behavior, male competition, mating calls, mating strategies, sperm competition.
Lacave, G., M. Eggermont, T. Verslycke, F. Brook, A. Salbany, L. Roque, and R. Kinoshita (2004). Prediction from ultrasonographic measurements of the expected delivery date in two species of bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus and Tursiops aduncus). Veterinary Record 154(8): 228-33. ISSN: 0042-4900.
NAL Call Number: 41.8 V641
Abstract: Ultrasonographic measurements were made at least once a month during 14 gestations in seven Tursiops truncatus and 12 gestations in five Tursiops aduncus (bottlenosed dolphins). The 121 measurements of the fetal biparietal diameter and 139 measurements of the fetal thoracic diameter in T truncatus and the 97 measurements of the biparietal diameter and 97 measurements of the thoracic diameter in Taduncus were used to establish regression lines for the increases in the diameter of the head and thorax of the fetus with time. From these relationships an easy-to-use computer program was developed to predict the date of birth of the two species of bottlenosed dolphin, and its predictions were compared with the actual dates of birth of other calves of both species. The births occurred within the range of predicted dates, and even when only a few measurements were available, the program provided accurate predictions.
Descriptors: delivery, obstetric, dolphins, fetus anatomy and histology, pregnancy, animal physiology, ultrasonography, prenatal, predictive value of tests, reference values, ultrasonography, prenatal standards.
Liu, R., J. Yang, and R.T.C. Chen (2003). The reproduction of cetaceans in artificial feeding. Acta Theriologica Sinica 23(3): 245-249. ISSN: 1000-1050.
Descriptors: Cetacea, literature review, reproductive techniques, captive breeding methods and problems, review.
Lockyer, C., G. Desportes, K. Hansen, S. Labberte, and S. Siebert (2003). Monitoring growth and energy utilisation of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in human care. North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) Scientific Publications 5: 107-120. ISSN: 1560-2206.
Abstract: Two harbour porpoises of an estimated age of 1-2 yrs were held in captivity from April 1997 and were still alive in April 2002, after rescue from pound nets set in inner Danish waters. They are presently housed in an outdoor penned-off area of Kerteminde fjord. Their growth (total body length, girth, body weight and blubber thickness) and daily dietary intake (weight of fish, dietary composition and energy value) have been monitored since capture. The general activity of the animals was regularly monitored, including two 24-hour long observation periods. Initial body weights were 37.5 kg for Eigil (male) and 40.5 kg for Freja (female). Both porpoises lost 4 to 5 kg in the first few days because of their initial refusal to feed from the hand. Then body weight increased steadily reaching a peak of 44.75 kg for Eigil and 51.6 kg for Freja in early February 1998. A fluctuation in body weight with peaks of 44 to 45 kg for the male and 51to 56 kg for the female in winter followed by lows of 41 to 44 kg and 47 to 48 kg respectively in summer, established a clear pattern of seasonal fluctuation, mirrored by girth and blubber thickness variation. Length increased steadily from 130.5 cm to 139cm in Eigil, and from 127.5 cm to 150 cm in Freja. Food intake also fluctuated seasonally, and increases in food intake preceded weight gains. Daily food consumption in Eigil and Freja represented about 7 to 9.5% of body weight. The growth of the animals resembles that of wild porpoises in the region. The sudden initial weight losses suggested that the energy reserves of the animals may only be short-term. The large weight increase in the winter months with colder water, correlating with the increase in girth and blubber thickness, suggest that energy reserves and blubber fat may be important for insulation. During the two 24-hour observations, the animals spent most of their time cruising around, although slow swimming and logging at the surface increased at night. Breathing rates were lower in the early morning hours, consistent with diminished activity. Both animalsÆ movements were influenced by external activities at poolside.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, weight, energy expenditure, energy utilization, feeding rate, food intake, growth, food intake and energy utilization relations, Baltic Sea, Denmark, Kerteminde Fjord, growth and energy utilization, captive study.
Mansour, A.A.H., D.W. McKay, J. Lien, J.C. Orr, J.H. Banoub, N. Oien, and G. Stenson (2002). Determination of pregnancy status from blubber samples in minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Marine Mammal Science 18(1): 112-120. ISSN: 0824-0469.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Descriptors: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, dermis, blubber, hormones, progesterone, pregnancy, Atlantic Ocean, north Atlantic, pregnancy status, determination from progesterone concentration in blubber samples.
McAlpine, D.F., M.C.S. Kingsley, and P.Y. Daoust (1999). A lactating record-age St. Lawrence beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). Marine Mammal Science 15(3): 854-859.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Descriptors: lactation, Huso huso, Delphinapterus leucas, sturgeons, aged, lactation.
Miller, D.L., E.L. Styer, S.J. Decker, and T. Robeck (2002). Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa from three odontocetes: a killer whale (Orcinus orca), a Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) and a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia 31(3): 158-168. ISSN: 0340-2096.
NAL Call Number: SF761,Z4
Descriptors: Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Orcinus orca, Delphinapterus leucas, sperm, ultrastructure, comparative study, seminal fluid, characteristics.
Miyazawa, K. and K. Usui (1983). Relationship between sexual maturity and adrenal weight, ratio of adrenal cortex and medulla of Sei Whales in the Antarctic Ocean. Japanese Journal of Animal Reproduction 29(3): 146-149. ISSN: 0385-9932.
NAL Call Number: SF1.K3
Descriptors: sexual maturity, adrenal gland, weight, relationship, cortex, medulla, Sie whales.
Mogoe, T., Y. Fukui, H. Ishikawa, and S. Ohsumi (1998). Morphological observations of frozen-thawed spermatozoa of southern minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Journal of Reproduction and Development 44(1): 95-100. ISSN: 0916-8818.
NAL Call Number: SF1.K3
Descriptors: whales, spermatozoa, biological preservation, freezing, animal morphology, cells, Cetacea, gametes, mammals, processing.
Language of Text: English summary.
Mogoe, T. (2002). Preservation and availability of minke whale spermatozoa. Aquabiology (Tokyo) 24(6): 519-525; 143. ISSN: 0285-4376.
NAL Call Number: QH90.A1K35
Descriptors: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, literature review, semen collection, sperm preservation, sperm, preservation and availability, review.
Mohan, R.S.L. (1983). A note on the fetuses of the dolphins Tursiops aduncus and Sousa plumbea from the south west coast of India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 29(1-2): 249-252.
NAL Call Number: SH299.I5
Descriptors: dolphins, fetuses, India, southwest coast.
Mohan, R.S.L. (1982). Fetuses of the dolphins Tursiops aduncus and Sausa plumbea from the South West coast of India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 29(1-2): 249-252. ISSN: 0537-2003.
NAL Call Number: SH299.I5
Descriptors: dolphins, fetuses, India, Tusiops, Sausa.
Morejohn, G.V. and D.M. Baltz (1972). On the reproductive tract of the female Dall porpoise. Journal of Mammalogy 53(3): 606-8. ISSN: 0022-2372.
Descriptors: Cetacea anatomy and histology, genitalia, female anatomy and histology.
Morii, H. (1981). Fatty acids in milk of marine little toothed whales, Stenella attenuata. Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries 47(10): 1367-1370. ISSN: 0021-5392.
NAL Call Number: 414.9 J274
Descriptors: whales, milk, fatty acids, acetic acid, acids, anatomy, animal anatomy, animals, aquatic animals, aquatic mammals, aquatic organisms, beverages, body fluids, Cetacea, fatty acids, foods, ISSCAAP group b 61, ISSCAAP group b 62, ISSCAAP groups of species, lipids, mammals, meat animals, oil producing animals, organic acids, organic compounds, preservatives, vertebrates.
Language of Text: English and Japanese summaries.
Muranishi, Y., M. Sasaki, K. Hayashi, N. Abe, T. Fujihira, H. Ishikawa, S. Ohsumi, A. Miyamoto, and Y. Fukui (2004). Relationship between the appearance of preantral follicles in the fetal ovary of Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and hormone concentrations in the fetal heart, umbilical cord and maternal blood. Zygote (Cambridge, England) 12(2): 125-132. ISSN: 0967-1994.
NAL Call Number: QH491.Z94
Abstract: The present study aimed to determine the relationship among changes in the number of preantral follicles and concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A) and estradiol-17[beta] (E2) in the fetal heart, umbilical cord and maternal blood. Primordial follicles had already appeared in a 20 cm fetus and primary follicles were observed in a 50 cm fetus. In a 70 cm fetus, the number of primordial and primary follicles increased rapidly and secondary follicles were present. The concentrations of LH and FSH id not change between 20 cm and 160 cm in fetal length. When the fetal length became > 70 cm, serum levels in the fetus, umbilical cord and mothers, and E2 levels in umbilical cord increased synchronously (p 0.05). These results showed increases in the number of preantral follicles in the Antarctic minke whale fetal ovary along with fetal growth during the early gestation period. These findings suggest that the change in preantral follicles was associated with changes in the concentration of steroids in early gestation periods. The changes in steroid concentrations in the fetal and umbilical cord blood and the increased number of preantral follicles were coincident at around 70 cm in fetal length, whereas the growth and differentiation of primordial and primary follicles appeared to be independent of FSH and LH.
Descriptors: Balaenoptera bonaerensis, blood, maternal blood, heart, fetal heart, hormones, ovary, appearance of preantral follicles and hormone levels in fetal heart, umbilical cord and maternal blood, placenta, umbilical cord, embryo development, fetal ovary.
Neimanis, A.S., A.J. Read, R.A. Foster, and D.E. Gaskin (2000). Seasonal regression in testicular size and histology in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena, L.) from the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine. Journal of Zoology (London) 250(2): 221-229. ISSN: 0952-8369.
Descriptors: testes, breeding season, fertilization, gonads, seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells, spermatids, spermatocytes, spermatogenesis, spermatogonia, spermatozoa, winter, seasonal variation, histology, anatomy, Phocoenidae, Phocoena.
Oftedal, O.T. (2000). Use of maternal reserves as a lactation strategy in large mammals. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 59(1): 99-106. ISSN: 0029-6651.
Abstract: The substrate demands of lactation must be met by increased dietary intake or by mobilization of nutrients from tissues. The capacity of animals to rely on stored nutrients depends to a large extent on body size; large animals have greater stores, relative to the demands of lactation, than do small animals. The substrate demands of lactation depend on the composition and amount of milk produced. Animals that fast or feed little during lactation are expected to produce milks low in sugar but high in fat, in order to minimize needs for gluconeogenesis while sustaining energy transfers to the young. The patterns of nutrient transfer are reviewed for four taxonomic groups that fast during part of or throughout lactation: sea lions and fur seals (Carnivora: Otariidae), bears (Carnivora: Ursidae), true seals (Carnivora: Phocidae) and baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti). All these groups produce low-sugar high-fat milks, although the length of lactation, rate of milk production and growth of the young are variable. Milk protein concentrations also tend to be low, if considered in relation to milk energy content. Maternal reserves are heavily exploited for milk production in these taxa. The amounts of lipid transferred to the young represent about one-fifth to one-third of maternal lipid stores; the relative amount of the gross energy of the body transferred in the milk is similar. Some seals and bears also transfer up to 16-18 % of the maternal body protein via milk. Reliance on maternal reserves has allowed some large mammals to give birth and lactate at sites and times far removed from food resources.
Descriptors: body constitution, fasting physiology, lactation physiology, seals, earless physiology, whales physiology, diet, milk chemistry.
Oftedal, O.T. (1997). Lactation in whales and dolphins: evidence of divergence between baleen- and toothed-species. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia 2(3): 205-30. ISSN: 1083-3021.
Abstract: Although it has been more than one hundred years since the first publication on the milks of whales and dolphins (Order Cetacea), information on lactation in these species is scattered and fragmentary. Yet the immense size of some cetaceans, and the recent evidence that another group of marine mammals, the true seals, have remarkable rates of secretion of milk fat and energy, make this group of great comparative interest. In this paper information on lactation patterns, milk composition and lactation performance is reviewed. Two very different patterns are evident. Many of the baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti) have relatively brief lactations (5-7 months) during which they fast or eat relatively little. At mid-lactation they produce milks relatively low in water (40-53%), high in fat (30-50%), and moderately high in protein (9-15%) and ash (1.2-2.1%). From mammary gland weights and postnatal growth rates, it is predicted that their energy outputs in milk are exceptional, reaching on the order of 4000 MJ/ d in the blue whale. This is possible because pregnant females migrate to feeding grounds where they can ingest and deposit great amounts of energy, building up blubber stores prior to parturition. On the other hand, the toothed whales and dolphins (Suborder Odontoceti) have much more extensive lactations typically lasting 1-3 years, during which the mothers feed. At mid-lactation their milks appear to be higher in water (60-77%) and lower in fat (10-30%) and ash (0.6-1.1%), with similar levels of protein (8-11%). At least some odontocetes resemble primates in terms of low predicted rates of energy output and a long period of dependency of the young. However, these hypotheses are based on small numbers of samples for a relatively small number of species. Much of the available data on milk composition is of rather poor quality; for example, it is not possible to determine if milk composition changes over the course of lactation among odontocetes. Additional research on cetacean mammary glands and their secretions is needed to understand the reproductive strategies of these fascinating animals.
Descriptors: dolphins physiology, lactation physiology, whales physiology, adipose tissue physiology, animals, suckling, dolphins classification, dolphins growth and development, energy metabolism, exploratory behavior, feeding behavior, lipids analysis, mammary glands, animal anatomy and histology, mammary glands, animal physiology, milk chemistry, milk proteins analysis, phylogeny, Pinnipedia physiology, species specificity, time factors, whales classification, whales growth and development.
Oftedal, O.T. (1993). The adaptation of milk secretion to the constraints of fasting in bears, seals, and baleen whales. Journal of Dairy Science 76(10): 3234-3246. ISSN: 0022-0302.
NAL Call Number: 44.8 J822
Abstract: Although lactation is accompanied by increased nutrient demands for milk synthesis, many species of bears, true seals, and baleen whales fast for much or all of lactation. Large body mass in these species confers the advantage of greater stores of fat and protein relative to rates of milk production. Given the constraints on substrate availability during fasting, the milks of fasting mammals are predicted to be low in carbohydrate, protein, and water and to be high in fat. The milks of bears, true seals, and baleen whales conform to this prediction. Mammals that lactate while fasting may lose up to 40% of initial BW. The production of milk entails the export of up to one-third of body fat and 15% of body protein in the dormant black bear and in several seal species, which greatly depletes maternal resources and may represent a physiological threshold, because higher protein and fat outputs have only been measured in species that start feeding. The low K:Na ratio of seal and whale milks and the low Ca:casein and inverse Ca:P ratios in seal milks are unusual and warrant further study.
Descriptors: whales, Ursidae, seals, lactation, fasting, body weight, weight losses, milk secretion, species differences, seal milk, milks, milk composition, lactation stage, casein, whey protein.
Olafsdottir, D., G.A. Vikingsson, S.D. Halldorsson, and J. Sigurjonsson (2003). Growth and reproduction in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in Icelandic waters. North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) Scientific Publications 5: 195-210. ISSN: 1560-2206.
Abstract: A total of 1,268 harbour porpoises were obtained from fishing nets in Icelandic coastal waters from September to June in the years 1991 to 1997. Foetal sex ratio was 1.2:1 (male: female). The bias towards males increased further among older animals in the present collection. The modal year classes were 0 and 1 years but the oldest porpoise was a female estimated at 20 years of age. Length at birth was estimated as approximately 75 cm, and females grew faster and attained larger sizes than males. Asymptotic length was 149.6 cm for males and 160.1 cm for females. Estimated age and length at sexual maturity was 1.9 to 2.9 years and 135 cm for males and 2.1 to 4.4 years and 138 to 147 cm for females. Immature individuals were significantly shorter than pubertal and mature animals in both sexes in age-classes 1 to 3. Testes weight increased only slightly with body size in immature males but increased rapidly around maturity. Pronounced seasonality was also observed in testes weight, indicating a peak in testes activity in summer. Lack of data from the summer makes the exact timing of parturition and mating unknown. Births do, however, most likely peak in June and July and lactation lasts at least 7 to 8 months. Ovulation and pregnancy rates were 0.98.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, age, size, length, reproduction, physiological and biochemical sex differences, sexual maturation, testis, breeding season, growth rate, sex differences, longevity, age class distribution, population sex ratio, north Atlantic, Iceland, growth and reproduction.
Olsen, E., N. Oien, A. Leithe, and B. Bergflodt (2003). The suitability of mandible growth layers in the common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) for age determination. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 5(2): 93-101. ISSN: 1561-0713.
Descriptors: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, age determination, mandible growth, evaluation, ovarian corpora counts, body length, relationships, age, size, jaws, mandible, ovary, growth, mandible growth, north Atlantic, mandible growth layers, age determination.
Pack, A.A., L.M. Herman, A.S. Craig, S.S. Spitz, and M.H. Deakos (2002). Penis extrusions by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Aquatic Mammals 28(2): 131-146. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Descriptors: Megaptera novaeangliae, penis, extrusions, reproductive behavior, north Pacific, Hawaii, west Maui, penis extrusions.
Peddemors, V.M., H.J. de Muelenaere, and K. Devchand (1989). Comparative milk composition of the bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) and common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) from southern African waters. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. A, Physiology 94(4): 639-41. ISSN: 0300-9629.
NAL Call Number: QP1.C6
Abstract: 1. Gross compositional data for milk samples of Tursiops truncatus, Sousa plumbea and Delphinus delphis are presented and compared with existing cetacean milk values. 2. Two factors appear to govern fat content and calorific value of the milk: (a) habitat, and (b) the stage of lactation. 3. Delphinus milk is unusual in that it has a higher P than Ca content. 4. The Fe content in cetacean milk is higher than that for terrestrial mammals and may be related to improved O2 binding requirements.
Descriptors: dolphins physiology, milk analysis, Africa, southern, reference values, species specificity.
Perrin, W.F. and S.L. Mesnick (2003). Sexual ecology of the spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris: Geographic variation in mating system. Marine Mammal Science 19(3): 462-483. ISSN: 0824-0469.
NAL Call Number: QL713.2.M372
Descriptors: Cetacea, mating, mating systems, first evidence for geographical variation, morphological analysis, Pacific ocean.
Reeb, D., M. Duffield, and P.B. Best (2005). Evidence of postnatal ecdysis in southern right whales, Eubalaena australis. Journal of Mammalogy 86(1): 131-138. ISSN: 0022-2372.
NAL Call Number: 410 J823
Abstract: This paper presents evidence of the presence and subsequent loss of postnatal skin in an ecdysis-like process in southern right whales, Eubalaena australis. Individuals whose skin was noticeably uneven, spongy, broken, and often light gray in color formed >=20% of right whale neonates seen on the South African coast on any day up to and including the 1st week of September. Thereafter >=85% of calves were of the normal, smooth-skinned appearance. The 50% transition point between the 2 forms occurred on 31 August (95% CI 1.1 days), or about a week after birth. Histological analysis of skin from stranded neonates showed a definite cleavage plane in the midepidermis, the mechanical integrity of which was further compromised by low concentrations of desmosomes and intracellular filaments. We propose that focal edema develops between the cells and forms the cleavage plane, which eventually leads to separation of the outer epidermal cell layer (cf. spongiosis in humans). The movement from the intrauterine to the oceanic milieu, and the osmoregulatory consequences thereof, may be a catalytic factor for this process to occur. This ecdysis may have important consequences for the cyamid fauna of neonatal fight whales.
Descriptors: Eubalaena australis, skin, development, south Atlantic, South Africa, postnatal ecdysis.
Reid, K., J. Mann, J.R. Weiner, and N. Hecker (1995). Infant development in two aquarium bottlenose dolphins. Zoo Biology 14(2): 135-147. ISSN: 0733-3188.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: Maryland, dolphins, infants, feeding habits, suckling, sex, biological differences, age groups, America, Appalachian states, behavior, Cetacea, feeding, mammals, North America, southern states, USA, postnatal development.
Richardson, S.F., G.B. Stenson, and C. Hood (2003). Growth of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in eastern Newfoundland, Canada. North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) Scientific Publications 5: 211-222. ISSN: 1560-2206.
Abstract: Although the stock relationships among harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Northwest Atlantic are unknown, it has been postulated that there are 4 local populations: Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, and west Greenland. Data on the Newfoundland population are extremely limited. To determine growth rates and examine if these animals can be differentiated from other sub-populations on the basis of growth characteristics, 94 porpoises caught incidentally in fishing gear along the southeast coast of Newfoundland during the summers of 1990 and 1991 were examined. Most porpoises (56%) were ú 4 years of age. Maximum age was 9 for females and 12 for males. Growth rates were similar for both sexes until one year of age, after which females grew longer and weighed more than males of similar ages. Using the Gompertz growth model, asymptotic values for body length were 156.3 cm for females and 142.9 cm for males. Asymptotic weights were 61.6 kg and 49.1 kg for females and males respectively. With the exception of West Greenland porpoise that were shorter and females from Norway that were lighter, Newfoundland porpoises could not be differentiated from animals collected in other areas based on growth data. However, differences in dental deposition patterns were noted suggesting that Newfoundland porpoise may belong to a separate population.
Descriptors: Phocoena phocoena, size, length, weight, physiological and biochemical sex differences, growth rate, growth, length and weight relationships, sex differences and population characteristics, north Atlantic, Canada, Newfoundland, population characteristics.
Ridgway, S. and M. Reddy (1995). Residue levels of several organochlorines in Tursiops truncatus milk collected at varied stages of lactation. Marine Pollution Bulletin 30(9): 609-614.
NAL Call Number: GC1000.M3
Descriptors: Tursiops, insecticides, residues, methods, side effects, organochlorine compounds, ddt, pesticides, USA, America, Cetacea, dolphins, mammals, North America, organic halogen compounds, organochlorine compounds, pesticides, nontarget effects, Tursiops truncatus.
Robeck, T.R., J.F. McBain, S. Mathey, and D.C. Kraemer (1998). Ultrasonographic evaluation of the effects of exogenous gonadotropins on follicular recruitment and ovulation induction in the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 29(1): 6-13. ISSN: 1042-7260.
NAL Call Number: SF601.J6
Abstract: Transabdominal ultrasonography and serum steroid concentrations were used to evaluate the effects of exogenous gonadotropin administration on ovarian activity of two anestrous bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The gonadotropin used for follicular recruitment was PG600, which has 400 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and 200 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) activity per 5 ml. Ovulation induction was attempted with hCG. PG600 was administered in two doses of 20 ml (1,600 IU eCG and 800 IU hCG) and 12.5 ml (1,000 IU eCG and 500 IU hCG), respectively, 48 hr apart on days 0 and 2. On day 6, 1,500 IU of hCG was administered. Progesterone and total immunoreactive estrogens were determined before and after the gonadotropin administration. Bilateral ovarian ultrasonographic exams were performed daily on days 4-9 and on day 22. Serum immunoreactive estrogen concentrations were greater than the pretreatment concentrations after day 4 for both dolphins and remained elevated for the rest of the study. Serum progesterone concentrations rose above 1 ng/ml 2 days after hCG treatment and remained elevated for the rest of the study. Small antral follicles (< 0.5 cm) were initially observed bilaterally in both dolphins on day 4. In both animals on day 9, there were > 12 follicles/ovary, ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. By day 22, the multiple follicles ranged from 0.5 to 4.5 cm in diameter. No ultrasonographic evidence of luteal formation was observed. The results indicate that 1) transabdominal ultrasonography can be used to detect and follow follicle growth in bottlenose dolphins; 2) bottlenose dolphins are sensitive to exogenous gonadotropins (multiple follicular recruitment of follicles occurred); and 3) until further ultrasonographic studies can be conducted to evaluate the effects of titrated doses of exogenous gonadotropins, these protocols should be considered unsuitable for ovulation induction.
Descriptors: chorionic gonadotropin pharmacology, dolphins physiology, ovarian follicle physiology, ovary drug effects, ovulation induction, anestrus drug effects, estrogens blood, ovarian follicle drug effects, ovarian follicle ultrasonography, ovary physiology, ovary ultrasonography, progesterone blood.
Robeck, T.R. and J.K. O'Brien (2004). Effect of cryopreservation methods and precryopreservation storage on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) spermatozoa. Biology of Reproduction 70(5): 1340-8. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Abstract: Research was conducted to develop an effective method for cryopreserving bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) semen processed immediately after collection or after 24-h liquid storage. In each of two experiments, four ejaculates were collected from three males. In experiment 1, three cryopreservation methods (CM1, CM2, and CM3), two straw sizes (0.25 and 0.5 ml), and three thawing rates (slow, medium, and fast) were evaluated. Evaluations were conducted at collection, prefreeze, and 0-, 3-, and 6-h postthaw. A sperm motility index (SMI; total motility [TM] x % progressive motility [PPM] x kinetic rating [KR, scale of 0-5]) was calculated and expressed as a percentage MI of the initial ejaculate. For all ejaculates, initial TM and PPM were greater than 85%, and KR was five. At 0-h postthaw, differences in SMI among cryopreservation methods and thaw rates were observed (P < 0.05), but no effect of straw size was observed. In experiment 2, ejaculates were divided into four aliquots for dilution (1:1) and storage at 4 degrees C with a skim milk- glucose or a N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethane sulfonic acid (TES)-TRIS egg yolk solution and at 21 degrees C with a Hepes-Tyrode balanced salt solution (containing bovine albumin and HEPES) (TALP) medium or no dilution. After 24 h, samples were frozen and thawed (CM3, 0.5-ml straws, fast thawing rate) at 20 x 10(6) spermatozoa ml(-1) (low concentration) or at 100 x 10(6) spermatozoa ml(-1) (standard concentration). The SMI at 0-h postthaw was higher for samples stored at 4 degrees C than for samples stored at 21 degrees C (P < 0.001), and at 6-h postthaw, the SMI was higher for samples frozen at the standard concentration than for samples frozen at the low concentration (P < 0.05). For both experiments, acrosome integrity was similar across treatments. In summary, a semen cryopreservation protocol applied to fresh or liquid-stored semen maintained high levels of initial ejaculate sperm characteristics.
Descriptors: cryopreservation methods, dolphins physiology, semen preservation, spermatozoa physiology, acrosome ultrastructure, ejaculation, sperm count, sperm motility, spermatozoa cytology, spermatozoa ultrastructure, time factors.
Robeck, T.R., A.L. Schneyer, J.F. McBain, L.M. Dalton, M.T. Walsh, N.M. Czekala, and D.C. Kraemer (1993). Analysis of urinary immunoreactive steroid metabolites and gonadotropins for characterization of the estrous cycle, breeding period, and seasonal estrous activity of captive killer whales (Orcinus orca). Zoo Biology 12(2): 173-187.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: Cetacea, reproductive physiology, orca, estrus cycle, killer whales, breeding period, urinary, gonadotropins.
Robeck, T.R., K.J. Steinman, S. Gearhart, T.R. Reidarson, J.F. McBain, and S.L. Monfort (2004). Reproductive physiology and development of artificial insemination technology in killer whales (Orcinus orca). Biology of Reproduction 71(2): 650-60. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Abstract: Research was conducted to define the basic reproductive physiology of killer whales (Orcinus orca) and to use this knowledge to facilitate the development of artificial insemination procedures. The specific objectives were 1) to determine the excretory dynamics of urinary LH and ovarian steroid metabolites during the estrous cycle; 2) to evaluate the effect of an exogenously administered, synthetic progesterone analog on reproductive hormone excretion; 3) to validate the use of transabdominal ultrasound for ovarian evaluation and timing of ovulation; 4) to examine the quality of semen after liquid storage and cryopreservation; and 5) to develop an intrauterine insemination technique. Based on urinary endocrine monitoring of 41 follicular phases and 26 complete cycles from five females, estrous cycles were 41 days long and comprised a 17-day follicular phase and a 21-day luteal phase. A consistent temporal relationship was observed between peak estrogen conjugates and the LH surge, the latter of which occurred approximately 0.5 days later. Two animals placed on oral altrenogest (three separate occasions for 30, 17, and 31 days, respectively) excreted peak urinary estrogen concentrations 25 days after withdrawal that were followed by sustained elevations in urinary pregnanediol-3alpha-glucuronide excretion. Mean preovulatory follicle diameter was 3.9 cm (n = 6), and ovulation occurred 38 h (n = 5) after the peak of the LH surge. Based on visual estimates of motility, liquid-stored semen maintained 92% of its raw ejaculate sperm motility index (total progressive motility x kinetic rating [0-5 scale, where 0 = no movement and 5 = rapid progressive movement]) when held at 4 degrees C for 3 days postcollection. Semen cryopreserved using a medium freezing rate demonstrated good postthaw total motility (50%), progressive motility (94%), and kinetic rating (3.5). Insemination during eight estrous cycles resulted in three pregnancies (38%), two from liquid-stored and one from cryopreserved semen. Two calves were delivered after gestation lengths of 552 and 554 days, respectively. These data demonstrate the potential of noninvasive endocrine monitoring combined with serial ultrasonography to improve our understanding of the reproductive biology of cetaceans. This fundamental knowledge was essential for ensuring the first successful conceptions, resulting in live offspring, using artificial insemination in any cetacean species.
Descriptors: dolphins physiology, ovarian follicle physiology, ovulation physiology, pregnanediol analogs and derivatives, reproductive techniques, assisted, acrosome, breeding, cryopreservation, estrous cycle physiology, luteinizing hormone urine, ovarian follicle ultrasonography, pregnanediol urine, semen, semen preservation.
Robeck, T.R., K.J. Steinman, M. Yoshioka, E. Jensen, J.K. O'Brien, E. Katsumata, C. Gili, J.F. McBain, J. Sweeney, and S.L. Monfort (2005). Estrous cycle characterisation and artificial insemination using frozen-thawed spermatozoa in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Reproduction 129(5): 659-674. ISSN: 1470-1626.
Online: http://www.srf-reproduction.org
NAL Call Number: QP251.J75
Descriptors: bottlenose dolphin, estrous cycle, artificial insemination, spermatozoa, frozen, endocrinology.
Robeck, T.R., S.L. Monfort, P.P. Calle, J.L. Dunn, E. Jensen, J.R. Boehm, S. Young, and S.T. Clark (2005). Reproduction, growth and development in captive beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). Zoo Biology 24(1): 29-49. ISSN: 0733-3188.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: behavior, endocrine system, reproductive system, reproduction, captivity, food intake, gestation, labor, nursing pattern, parturition, beluga.
Rolland, R.M., K.E. Hunt, S.D. Kraus, and S.K. Wasser (2005). Assessing reproductive status of right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) using fecal hormone metabolites. General and Comparative Endocrinology 142(3): 308-317. ISSN: 0016-6480.
NAL Call Number: 444.8 G28
Abstract: Long-term studies of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, have revealed declining reproductive parameters over the past two decades, threatening recovery of this small population if current trends continue. Little is known about right whale reproductive physiology, and investigating this reproductive decline has been limited by a lack of non-lethal methods for assessing reproductive status (e.g., sexual maturation, ovarian activity, pregnancy, lactation, and reproductive senescence) in free-swimming whales. This paper describes validation of existing radioimmunoassay techniques to study reproduction in right whales by measuring estrogens, progestins, androgens, and their related metabolites in fecal samples. Over the past decade fecal steroid hormone assays have been used to assess reproductive status and function in a wide range of terrestrial wildlife species, but this is the first application of this methodology in wild cetaceans. Analysis of fecal hormone metabolite levels in combination with life history data from photographically identified whales shows that this non-invasive method can be used to determine gender, detect pregnancy and lactation, and to assess age at sexual maturity in right whales and potentially other endangered whale populations.
Descriptors: right whales, reproductive status, assessing, fecal hormones, metabolites, reproductive physiology, radioimmunoassay.
Rommel, S.A., D.A. Pabst, and W.A. McLellan (1993). Functional morphology of the vascular plexuses associated with the cetacean uterus. Anatomical Record 237(4): 538-46. ISSN: 0003-276X.
NAL Call Number: 447.8 AN1
Abstract: The cetacean reproductive system is surrounded by thermogenic locomotory muscle and insulating blubber. This arrangement suggests elevated temperatures at the uterus that could induce detrimental effects on fetal development. We present anatomical evidence for a complex countercurrent heat exchange system that could function to regulate the thermal environment of the uterus and a developing fetus. Cooled venous blood from the surfaces of the dorsal fin and flukes enters the abdominal cavity via the lumbo-caudal venous plexus. This plexus is juxtaposed to the arterial and venous plexuses associated with the uterus. The morphology of the lumbo-caudal venous plexus suggests that it acts as a "heat sink" for the adjacent tissues. Heat may be transferred to the cool, lumbo-caudal venous plexus from the warm blood in the arterial and venous plexuses supplying the uterus. Heat may also be transferred from adjacent locomotory muscles to the cool lumbo-caudal venous plexus. The countercurrent heat exchanger created by the juxtaposition of the lumbo-caudal venous plexus with the uterovarian arterial plexus is similar in design to that of the countercurrent heat exchanger described for male cetaceans. The functional implications of introducing cool superficial blood into the abdominal cavity of a diving, and locomoting female cetacean are discussed.
Descriptors: body temperature regulation physiology, dolphins anatomy and histology, dolphins physiology, uterus anatomy and histology, uterus physiology, whales anatomy and histology, whales physiology, diving physiology, exertion physiology, fetus physiology, muscles physiology, regional blood flow physiology, uterus blood supply.
Rommel, S.A., D.A. Pabst, W.A. McLellan, T.M. Williams, and W.A. Friedl (1994). Temperature regulation of the testes of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): evidence from colonic temperatures. Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology 164(2): 130-4. ISSN: 0174-1578.
NAL Call Number: QP33.J681
Abstract: Dolphins possess a countercurrent heat exchanger that functions to cool their intra-abdominal testes. Spermatic arteries in the posterior abdomen are juxtaposed to veins returning cooled blood from the surfaces of the dorsal fin and flukes. A rectal probe housing a linear array of five copper-constantan thermocouples was designed to measure colonic temperatures simultaneously at positions anterior to, within, and posterior to the region of the colon flanked by the countercurrent heat exchanger. Colonic temperatures adjacent to the countercurrent heat exchanger were maximally 1.3 degrees C cooler than temperatures measured outside this region. Temporary heating and cooling of the dorsal fin and flukes affected temperatures at the countercurrent heat exchanger, but had little or no effect on temperatures posterior to its position. These measurements support the hypothesis that cooled blood is introduced into the deep abdominal cavity and functions specifically to regulate the temperature of arterial blood flow to the dolphin testes.
Descriptors: body temperature, body temperature regulation, colon physiology, testis physiology, arteries, blood circulation, blood physiology, veins.
Rosas, F.C.W. and K.K. Lehti (1996). Nutritional and mercury content of milk of the Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. A, Comparative Physiology 115(2): 117-119.
NAL Call Number: QP1.C6
Descriptors: dolphins, milk, pollution, retinol, mercury, milk fat, milk protein, copper, iron, zinc, aluminium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, sodium, potassium, contamination, chemical composition, Brazil, Amazonas Brazil, Venezuela, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, America, Andean region, animal protein, Brazil, carotenoids, Cetacea, elements, heavy metals, Latin America, mammals, metallic elements, milk, milk products, pigments, processed animal products, processed products, protein products, South America, terpenoids, transition elements, vitamins, Inia geoffrensis.
Rosenbaum, H.C., M.T. Weinrich, S.A. Stoleson, J.P. Gibbs, C.S. Baker, and R. DeSalle (2002). The effect of differential reproductive success on population genetic structure: correlations of life history with matrilines in humpback whales of the gulf of Maine. Journal of Heredity 93(6): 389-99. ISSN: 0022-1503.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 AM3
Abstract: To examine whether demographic and life-history traits are correlated with genetic structure, we contrasted mtDNA lineages of individual humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) with sighting and reproductive histories of female humpback whales between 1979 and 1995. Maternal lineage haplotypes were obtained for 323 whales, either from direct sequencing of the mtDNA control region (n = 159) or inferred from known relationships along matrilines from the sequenced sample of individuals (n = 164). Sequence variation in the 550 bp of the control region defined a total of 19 maternal lineage haplotypes that formed two main clades. Fecundity increased significantly over the study period among females of several lineages among the two clades. Individual maternal lineages and other clades were characterized by significant variation in fecundity. The detected heterogeneity of reproductive success has the potential to substantially affect the frequency and distribution of maternal lineages found in this population over time. There were significant yearly effects on adult resighting rates and calf survivorship based on examination of sighting histories with varying capture-recapture probability models. These results indicate that population structure can be influenced by interactions or associations between reproductive success, genetic structure, and environmental factors in a natural population of long-lived mammals.
Descriptors: DNA, mitochondrial genetics, whales genetics, whales physiology, base sequence, fertility, genetics, population, haplotypes, Maine, population density, reproduction, seawater, variation genetics, whales growth and development.
Sasaki, S., H. Komura, M. Hashikata, T. Yoshida, B. Kanzaki, A. Hosono, L. Chou, and C. Yao (2004). Composition and characteristics of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) milk. Milk Science 53(1): 15-18. ISSN: 1343-0289.
Descriptors: amino acids, chemical composition, fat, fatty acids, glutamic acid, leucine, milk, milk composition, mineral content, oleic acid, protein content.
Sawyer Steffan, J.E., V.L. Kirby, and W.G. Gilmartin (1983). Progesterone and estrogens in the pregnant and nonpregnant dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, and the effects of induced ovulation. Biology of Reproduction 28(4): 897-901. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Descriptors: progesterone, estrogens, pregnant, dolphin, induced ovulation.
Schneyer, A., A. Castro, and D. Odell (1985). Radioimmunoassay of serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the bottlenosed dolphin. Biology of Reproduction 33(4): 844-53. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Abstract: Commercially available radioimmunoassay (RIA) kits for human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were adapted for quantitation of these hormones in serum from bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Serum samples from over 160 wild and 70 captive animals were assayed in order to determine basal concentrations of FSH and LH in these animals, as well as to detect possible differences between various groups. Mean FSH and LH levels for all animals were 0.22 +/- 0.08 and 0.37 +/- 0.18 ng/ml, respectively. Although wild animals had higher FSH and LH levels than captive ones, the differences were not statistically significant (P less than 0.07). However, both FSH and LH were significantly (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively) elevated in females when compared to males. Adults and peripubescent animals had significantly (P less than 0.01) higher LH levels than did juveniles. Among wild animals, serum concentrations of FSH and LH reflected seasonal differences. Samples obtained in early summer (Gulf of Mexico population) contained significantly (P less than 0.01) higher concentrations of FSH and LH than samples obtained in the fall (Indian River, Florida population). Both FSH and LH were significantly elevated in samples from confirmed pregnant animals as compared to the overall mean and to a sample from a confirmed nonpregnant female. Our observations indicate that these RIAs can reliably detect serum FSH and LH from bottlenosed dolphins and represent the first quantitation of these hormones in cetaceans.
Descriptors: dolphins blood, follicle stimulating hormone blood, luteinizing hormone blood, aging, animals, domestic, animals, wild, radioimmunoassay methods.
Schwacke, L.H., E.O. Voit, L.J. Hansen, R.S. Wells, G.B. Mitchum, A.A. Hohn, and P.A. Fair (2002). Probabilistic risk assessment of reproductive effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Southeast United States Coast. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 21(12): 2752-64. ISSN: 0730-7268.
NAL Call Number: QH545.A1E58
Abstract: High levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been reported in the tissues of some species of marine mammals. The high concentrations are of concern because a growing body of experimental evidence links PCBs to deleterious effects on reproduction, endocrine homeostasis, and immune system function. Much of the recent research has focused on determining the exposure of marine mammal populations to PCBs, but very little effort has been devoted to the actual risk assessments that are needed to determine the expected impacts of the documented exposures. We describe a novel risk assessment approach that integrates measured tissue concentrations of PCBs with a surrogate dose-response relationship and leads to predictions of health risks for marine mammals as well as to the uncertainties associated with these predictions. Specifically, we use PCB tissue residue data from three populations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), study the feasibility of published dose-response data from a surrogate species. and combine this information to estimate the risk of detrimental reproductive effects in female dolphins. Our risk analyses for dolphin populations near Beaufort (NC, USA), Sarasota (FL, USA), and Matagorda Bay (TX, USA) indicate a high likelihood that reproductive success, primarily in primiparous females, is being severely impaired by chronic exposure to PCBs. Excess risk of reproductive failure, measured in terms of stillbirth or neonatal mortality, for primiparous females was estimated as 60% (Beaufort), 79% (Sarasota), and 78% (Matagorda Bay). Females of higher parity, which have previously off-loaded a majority of their PCB burden, exhibit a much lower risk.
Descriptors: dolphins physiology, environmental pollutants adverse effects, fetal death, polychlorinated biphenyls adverse effects, reproduction drug effects, dose response relationship, drug, fetal death etiology, health status, parity, population dynamics, risk assessment, tissue distribution, United States.
Notes: Erratum In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2003 Mar;22(3):689.
Shimura, E., K. Numachi, K. Sezaki, Y. Hirosaki, S. Watabe, and K. Hashimoto (1986). Biochemical evidence of hybrid formation between the two species of dolphin Tursiops truncatus and Grampus griseus. Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries 52(4): 725-730. ISSN: 0021-5392.
Descriptors: Tursiops, Grampus, hybrids, isoenzymes, heterozygotes, electrophoresis, analysis, Cetacea, chemical analysis, enzymes, genetics, genotypes, mammals, methods, organic compounds, processing, progeny forms, separating, vertebrates.
Language of Text: English and Japanese summaries.
Solntseva, G.N. (2000). Development of the vestibular apparatus in mammals with different ecological characteristics. Doklady Biological Sciences Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR 371: 192-6. ISSN: 0012-4966.
NAL Call Number: 511 P444AEB
Descriptors: mammals growth and development, vestibule growth and development, Chiroptera growth and development, ecosystem, evolution, mammals classification, marine biology, Pinnipedia growth and development, rats, species specificity, whales growth and development.
Sterba, O., M. Klima and B. Schildger (2000). Embryology of Dolphins: Staging and Ageing of Embryos and Fetuses of Some Cetaceans, Advances in Anatomy, Embryology, and Cell Biology, Springer: Berlin; New York, 133 p. ISBN: 3540672125.
NAL Call Number: QL959.S76 2000
Descriptors: dolphins, embryology, embryos, fetuses, ageing, cetaceans.
Stone, L.R., R.L. Johnson, J.C. Sweeney and M.L. Lewis (1999). Fetal ultrasonography in dolphins with emphasis on gestational aging. In: Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy, Vol. 4, p. 501-506.
NAL Call Number: SF996.Z66 1999
Descriptors: aging, ultrasonography, marine mammals, wild animals, fetus, pregnancy, pregnancy diagnosis, dolphins.
Sumich, J.L. (2001). Growth of baleen of a rehabilitating gray whale calf. Aquatic Mammals 27(3): 234-238. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Descriptors: Eschrichtius robustus, baleen, growth rate and patterns, captive young, growth.
Sumich, J.L., T. Goff, and W.L. Perryman (2001). Growth of two captive gray whale calves. Aquatic Mammals 27(3): 231-233. ISSN: 0167-5427.
Descriptors: Eschrichtius robustus, growth rate, captive young.
Taber, S. and P. Thomas (1982). Calf development and mother-calf spatial relationships in southern right whales Eubalaena australis. Animal Behaviour 30(4): 1072-1083. ISSN: 0003-3472.
NAL Call Number: 410 B77
Descriptors: calf, development, mother, relationships, right whales, Eubalaena australis.
Terasawa, F., Y. Yokoyama, and M. Kitamura (1999). Rectal temperatures before and after parturition in bottlenose dolphins. Zoo Biology 18(2): 153-156. ISSN: 0733-3188.
NAL Call Number: QL77.5.Z6
Descriptors: Tursiops truncatus, body temperature, parturition, pregnancy.
Tetsuka, M., M. Asada, T. Mogoe, Y. Fukui, H. Ishikawa, and S. Ohsumi (2004). The pattern of ovarian development in the prepubertal antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). Journal of Reproduction and Development 50(4): 381-9. ISSN: 0916-8818.
NAL Call Number: SF1.K3
Abstract: This study describes the morphological and morphometrical changes associated with prepubertal ovarian development in the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). Ovaries were harvested from 94 immature minke whales caught in the Antarctic Ocean during the summer feeding season (December-March). Notable differences in ovarian size and morphology were found among animals. Up to 10 folds difference in ovarian weight was found among prepubertal whales of similar body size. During the prepubertal period, ovaries grew slowly and approximately doubled their weight. The morphologies of right and left ovaries were almost identical while the growth of the ovary appears to occur preferentially on the right side. The most striking morphological feature was numerous small antral follicles less than 5 mm in diameter found in ovaries of younger immature whales. The occurrence of these ovaries was highest in whales less than 6 m long and gradually decreased as body length increased. In larger whales, the occurrence of ovaries with a smaller number of follicles up to 10 mm and thick tunica albuginea increased. Thus, the ovary of the Antarctic minke whale experiences bursts of small follicular development during the early prepubertal period before becoming a more developed ovary with fewer but larger follicles, and thick tunica albuginea.
Descriptors: ovary growth and development, sexual maturation physiology, whales physiology, Antarctic regions, ovary anatomy and histology, ovary physiology.
Tiniakov, G.G., V.P. Chumakov, and B.A. Sevost'ianov (1975). Microstructure of sperm whale (Physeter catodon) milk [Comparison to cow milk]. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 54(9): 1413-1415.
NAL Call Number: 410 R92
Descriptors: sperm whale, milk, microstructure, cow, comparison.
Language of Text: English summary.
Ullrey, D.E., C.C. Schwartz, P.A. Whetter, T.R. Rao, J.R. Euber, S.G. Cheng, and J.R. Brunner (1984). Blue-green color and composition of Stejneger's beaked whale (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) milk. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. B, Comparative Biochemistry 79(3): 349-352. ISSN: 0305-0491.
Descriptors: whales, milk composition, color varieties, pigments, beaked whale.
Urashima, T., H. Sato, J. Munakata, T. Nakamura, I. Arai, T. Saito, M. Tetsuka, Y. Fukui, H. Ishikawa, C. Lydersen, and K.M. Kovacs (2002). Chemical characterization of the oligosaccharides in beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) and Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) milk. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. B, Comparative Biochemistry 132(3): 611-624. ISSN: 1096-4959.
NAL Call Number: QP501.C6
Abstract: Carbohydrates were extracted from the milk of a beluga, Delphinopterus leucas (family Odontoceti), and two Minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Family Mysticeti), sampled late in their respective lactation periods. Free oligosaccharides were separated by gel filtration and then neutral oligosaccharides were purified by preparative thin layer chromatography and gel filtration, while acidic oligosaccharides were purified by ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were determined by 1H-NMR. In one of the Minke whale milk samples, lactose was a dominant saccharide, with Fuc(alpha1-2)Gal(beta1-4)Glc(2'-fucosyllactose), Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc(beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc (lacto-N-neotetraose), GalNAc(alpah1-3)[Fuc(alpha1-2)]Gal (beta1-4)Glc(A-tetrasaccharide). Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc(beta1-3)Gal (beta1-4)GlcNAc(beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc (para lacto-N-neohexaose). Neu5Ac(alpha2-3)Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc (beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc (sialyl lacto-N-neotetraose), Neu5Ac(alpha2-6)Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc (beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc (LST c) and Neu5Ac(alpha2-3)Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc (beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAc(beta1-3)Gal(beta1-4) Glc(sialyl para lacto-N-neohexaose) also being found in the milk. The second Minke whale sample contained similar amounts of lactose, 2'-fucosyllactose and A-tetrasaccharide, but no free sialyl oligosaccharides. Sialyl lacto-N-neotetraose and sialyl para lacto-N-neohexaose are novel oligosaccharides which have not been previously reported from any mammalian milk or colostrum. These and other oligosaccharides of Minke whale milk may have biological significance as anti-infection factors, protecting the suckling young. against bacteria and viruses. The lactose of Minke whale milk could be a source of energy for them. The beluga whale milk contained trace amounts of Neu5Ac(alpha2-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc (3'-N-acetyloeuraminyllactose), but the question of whether it contained free lactose could not be clarified. Therefore, lactose may not be a source of energy for suckling beluga whales.
Descriptors: whale, beluga, minke, milk, oligosaccharides, chemical characterization.
Van Waerebeek, K. and A.J. Read (1994). Reproduction of dusky dolphins, Lagenorhynchus obscurus, from coastal Peru. Journal of Mammalogy 75(4): 1054-1062. ISSN: 0022-2372.
NAL Call Number: 410 J823
Abstract: We examined the reproductive biology of 522 female and 330 male dusky dolphins, Lagenorhynchus obscurus, killed in Peruvian coastal fisheries between 1985 and 1990. Most births occurred in late winter (August, September, and October), although a few newborns were collected as late as February. Growth rate of fetuses was 0.261 cm/day; young were born at a mean length of 91 cm and mass of 9.6 kg. Gestation lasted for 12.9 months, followed by 12.0 months of lactation and a resting period of 3.7 months. The size of adult testes increased, reaching a maximum in September and October, in synchrony with the peak period of conception. The largest single-testis mass (with epididymis) was 5,120 g, and the maximum ratio of testis: body mass in mature males was 0.085, among the highest of any mammal. The large testes, relative sexual monomorphism, and apparent lack of aggressive behavior between males suggests a promiscuous mating system and sperm competition in this species.
Descriptors: behavior, cell biology, reproductive system, reproduction, systematics and taxonomy, wildlife management, conservation, coastal fishery incidental catch, mating system, sperm competition, testes .
Walker, L.A., L. Cornell, K.D. Dahl, N.M. Czekala, C.M. Dargen, B. Joseph, A.J. Hsueh, and B.L. Lasley (1988). Urinary concentrations of ovarian steroid hormone metabolites and bioactive follicle-stimulating hormone in killer whales (Orcinus orchus) during ovarian cycles and pregnancy. Biology of Reproduction 39(5): 1013-20. ISSN: 0006-3363.
NAL Call Number: QL876.B5
Abstract: Reproductive hormone profiles of six captive killer whales (Orcinu orcus) from three Sea World aquaria were studied for intervals up to 2 yr. Daily urine samples and bimonthly blood samples were collected and analyzed for hormone concentration. Immunoreactive estrone conjugates, pregnanediol-3-glucoruonide, 20-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone as well as bioactive follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured in urine samples and indexed by creatinine concentrations of the same sample. In selected cases, serum progesterone concentrations were also measured. Three of the animals in the study became pregnant during the study period and two of these animals were evaluated during the time of conception and throughout most of gestation. From the data of the three animals that conceived, hormone profiles of the complete ovarian cycle, early pregnancy, and mid- to late gestation are described. The remaining three animals did not conceive and only one of these demonstrated hormone changes that indicated regular ovarian activity. The female reproductive pattern of the killer whale is characterized by a gestation of 17 mo and an ovarian cycle of 6-7 wk in duration. The hormone changes associated with the ovarian cycle of the killer whale are similar to those of most other mammalian species. A bimodal pattern of bioactive FSH with a pronounced rise of estrogen predominates the preovulatory hormone profile. After ovulation, increased progesterone production is observed for approximately 4 wk in the nonconceptive ovarian cycle. During the luteal phase and early pregnancy, when progesterone metabolites are elevated, estrogen metabolite excretion remains low. These data extend the application of urine collections for longitudinal studies involving hormone changes, particularly those involving nondomesticated species.
Descriptors: 20 alpha dihydroprogesterone urine, Cetacea urine, estrogens urine, estrus physiology, follicle stimulating hormone urine, pregnancy, animal physiology, pregnanediol analogs and derivatives, progesterone analogs and derivatives, whales urine, estrus metabolism, estrus urine, animal blood, animal metabolism, animal urine, pregnanediol urine, progesterone blood.
Wei, H. and Y. Fukui (2000). Fertilisability of ovine, bovine or minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) spermatozoa intracytoplasmically injected into bovine oocytes. Zygote (Cambridge, England) 8(3): 267-74. ISSN: 0967-1994.
NAL Call Number: QH491.Z94
Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the possibility of using bovine oocytes for a heterologous fertility test by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to compare the pronuclear formation of ram, bull and minke whale spermatozoa after injection into bovine oocytes. Bovine oocytes were cultured in vitro for 24 h and those with a polar body were selected for ICSI. Frozen-thawed semen from the three species were treated with 5 mM dithiothreitol for 1 h and spermatozoa were killed by storing them in a -20 degrees C refrigerator before use. ICSI was performed using a Piezo system. Three experiments were designed. In experiment 1, a higher (p < 0.05) male pronuclear formation rate was found in the oocytes injected with ram (52.6%) or bull (53.4%) spermatozoa than with minke whale spermatozoa (39.1%). In experiment 2, sperm head decondensation was detected at 2 h after ICSI in the oocytes injected with a spermatozoon of each species. Male pronuclei were first observed at 4 h in the oocytes injected with ram or bull spermatozoa and at 6 h in oocytes injected with minke whale spermatozoa. The mean diameters of male pronuclei derived from both whale and bull spermatozoa were larger than those from ram spermatozoa (30.4 microm and 28.3 microm vs 22.4 microm, p < 0.005). The mean diameter of female pronuclei in the oocytes injected with whale spermatozoa was also larger than with ram spermatozoa (29.3 microm vs 24.7 microm, p < 0.05). The development of male and female pronuclei was synchronous. In experiment 3, ethanol-activated oocytes injected with a spermatozoon from any of the three species achieved significantly higher (p < 0.05-0.001) cleavage rates than control oocytes. Blastocyst formation was only observed when bull spermatozoa were used. The results of this study indicate that dead foreign spermatozoa can participate in fertilisation activities in bovine oocytes after ICSI.
Descriptors: fertility physiology, oocytes physiology, sperm injections, intracytoplasmic, spermatozoa physiology, cattle, cell nucleus ultrastructure, sheep, species specificity, whales.
West, K.L., S. Atkinson, M.J. Carmichael, J.C. Sweeney, B. Krames, and J. Krames (2000). Concentrations of progesterone in milk from bottlenose dolphins during different reproductive states. General and Comparative Endocrinology 117(2): 218-24. ISSN: 0016-6480.
NAL Call Number: 444.8 G28
Descriptors: dolphins metabolism, milk metabolism, progesterone metabolism, reproduction physiology, anestrus metabolism, milk chemistry, postpartum period metabolism, time factors.
Whitehead, H. and J. Mann (2000). Female reproductive strategies of cetaceans: life histories and calf care. In: J. Mann, R.C. Connor, P.L. Tyack and H. Whitehead (Editors), Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, Chicago University Press: Chicago & London, p. 219-246. ISBN: 0226503410.
NAL Call Number: QL737.C4C39 2000
Descriptors: Cetacea, literature review, reproduction, female strategies, review.
Williamson, P., N.J. Gales, and S. Lister (1990). Use of real-time B-mode ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis and measurement of fetal growth rate in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 88(2): 543-548.
NAL Call Number: 442.8 J8222
Descriptors: Tursiops, ultrasonics, pregnancy diagnosis, embryonic development, dolphins, biological development, Cetacea, diagnosis, dolphins, mammals, radiations, sound.
Yang, J., X. Zhang, Y. Hari, and A. Fujimoto (1998). Observations of parturition and related behaviour of finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) in Enoshima Aquarium, Japan. Oceanologia Et Limnologia Sinica 29(1): 41-46. ISSN: 0029-814X.
Descriptors: animal behavior, parturition, respiration rate, zoo animals, dolphins.
Yoshioka, M. (1996). Reproductive physiology in cetaceans. Bulletin of the Faculty of Bioresources Mie University (16): 45-48. ISSN: 0915-0471.
NAL Call Number: S471.J3M54
Descriptors: Cetacea, reproduction, oestrous cycle, pregnancy, artificial insemination, animal husbandry methods, biological rhythms, mammals, mating systems, physiological functions, reproduction, reproduction control, sexual reproduction.
Language of Text: English and Japanese summaries.
Yoshioka, M., K. Aida, and I. Hanyu (1989). Correlation of serum progesterone levels with reproductive status in female striped dolphins [Stenella coeruleoalba] and short-finned pilot whales [Globicephala macrorhynchus]. Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries 55(3): 475-478. ISSN: 0021-5392.
Descriptors: dolphins, whales, reproduction, blood serum, progesterone, sexual maturity, pregnancy, lactation, rest, corpus luteum, age, anatomy, animal anatomy, animal developmental stages, aquatic animals, aquatic mammals, aquatic organisms, blood, body fluids, body parts, Cetacea, corpus luteum hormones, developmental stages, endocrine glands, female genital system, flowers, glands, gynoecium, hormones, inflorescences, ISSCAAP group b 61, ISSCAAP group b 62, ISSCAAP group b 63, ISSCAAP groups of species, maturity, meat animals, oil producing animals, organic compounds, ovaries, physiological functions, plant anatomy, progestational hormones, reproduction, urogenital system, vertebrates.
Language of Text: English and Japanese summaries.
Yoshioka, M., K. Aida, I. Hanyu, E. Mohri, and T. Tobayama (1986). Annual changes in serum reproductive hormone levels in the captive female bottle-nosed dolphins [Tursiops truncatus gilli]. Bulletin of the Japanese Society of Scientific Fisheries 52(11): 1939-1946. ISSN: 0021-5392.
Descriptors: dolphins, female animals, sex hormones, annual, blood composition, progesterone, oestrogens, LH, aquatic animals, aquatic mammals, aquatic organisms, Cetacea, composition, corpus luteum hormones, hormones, ISSCAAP group b 63, ISSCAAP groups of species, mammals, organic compounds, periodicity, pituitary hormones, progestational hormones, sex hormones, time, timing, vertebrates.
Language of Text: English and Japanese summaries.
Zhang Xianfeng (1992). Studies on the age determination, growth and reproduction of finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica 16(4): 289-298. ISSN: 1000-3207.
Descriptors: porpoises, teeth, sex ratio, sexual maturity, age, length, copulation, parturition, reproductive performance, China, animal morphology, Asia, biological properties, Cetacea, developmental stages, digestive system, dimensions, East Asia, fertilization, mammals, maturity, mouth, performance, physiological functions, population structure, reproduction, sexual reproduction.
Language of Text: Chinese and English summaries.
Zhu, Q., D. Wang, K.X. Wang, B. Jiang, and T.Y. Tang (2003). Review of the research on reproductive biology of cetaceans. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica 27(5): 542-546. ISSN: 1000-3207.
Descriptors: marine ecology, ecology, reproductive system, reproduction, mating, nursing, parturition, pregnancy, reproductive biology, research review, cetaceans.
Zornetzer, H.R. and D.A. Duffield (2003). Captive-born bottlenose dolphin x common dolphin (Tursiops truncatus x Delphinus capensis) intergeneric hybrids. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81(10): 1755-1762. ISSN: 0008-4301.
NAL Call Number: 470 C16D
Descriptors: Delphinus capensis, Tursiops truncatus, size, morphometrics, markings, hybridization, intergeneric hybrids, morphometric characters and color, captive bred, hybrid fertility.