Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus)
We used baleen lengths and age estimates from 175 whales and body lengths and age estimates from 205 whales to test which of several single- and multi-stage growth models best characterized age-specific baleen and body lengths for bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus L., 1758) with the goal of determ...
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z2012-057 2024-09-15T17:57:10+00:00 Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) Lubetkin, S.C. Zeh, J.E. George, J.C. 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z2012-057 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z2012-057 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z2012-057 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 90, issue 8, page 915-931 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 2012 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z2012-057 2024-08-15T04:09:33Z We used baleen lengths and age estimates from 175 whales and body lengths and age estimates from 205 whales to test which of several single- and multi-stage growth models best characterized age-specific baleen and body lengths for bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus L., 1758) with the goal of determining which would be best for predicting whale age based on baleen or body length. Previous age estimates were compiled from several techniques, each of which is valid over a relatively limited set of physical characteristics. The best fitting single-stage growth model was a variation of the von Bertalanffy growth model for both baleen and body length data. Based on Bayesian information criterion, the two- and three-stage versions of the von Bertalanffy model fit the data better than did the single-stage models for both baleen and body length. The best baleen length models can be used to estimate expected ages for bowhead whales with up to 300–325 cm baleen, depending on sex, which correspond to age estimates approaching 60 years. The best body length models can be used to estimate expected ages for male bowhead whales up to 14 m, and female bowheads up to 15.5 m or ages up to approximately 40 years. Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaena mysticetus Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 90 8 915 931 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
We used baleen lengths and age estimates from 175 whales and body lengths and age estimates from 205 whales to test which of several single- and multi-stage growth models best characterized age-specific baleen and body lengths for bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus L., 1758) with the goal of determining which would be best for predicting whale age based on baleen or body length. Previous age estimates were compiled from several techniques, each of which is valid over a relatively limited set of physical characteristics. The best fitting single-stage growth model was a variation of the von Bertalanffy growth model for both baleen and body length data. Based on Bayesian information criterion, the two- and three-stage versions of the von Bertalanffy model fit the data better than did the single-stage models for both baleen and body length. The best baleen length models can be used to estimate expected ages for bowhead whales with up to 300–325 cm baleen, depending on sex, which correspond to age estimates approaching 60 years. The best body length models can be used to estimate expected ages for male bowhead whales up to 14 m, and female bowheads up to 15.5 m or ages up to approximately 40 years. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lubetkin, S.C. Zeh, J.E. George, J.C. |
spellingShingle |
Lubetkin, S.C. Zeh, J.E. George, J.C. Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
author_facet |
Lubetkin, S.C. Zeh, J.E. George, J.C. |
author_sort |
Lubetkin, S.C. |
title |
Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
title_short |
Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
title_full |
Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
title_fullStr |
Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) |
title_sort |
statistical modeling of baleen and body length at age in bowhead whales ( balaena mysticetus) |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z2012-057 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z2012-057 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z2012-057 |
genre |
Balaena mysticetus |
genre_facet |
Balaena mysticetus |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 90, issue 8, page 915-931 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z2012-057 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
90 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
915 |
op_container_end_page |
931 |
_version_ |
1810433347226173440 |