Effect of flightlessness during moult on the iron content in the pectoralis muscle of the Giant Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis maxima )

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Rosser, B. W. C., George, J. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1985
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canada; Branta canadensis; Canada Goose
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z85-068; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z85-068

Adult male Giant Canada Geese, collected from a nonmigratory wild population during their premoult, moult, and postmoult periods were studied for changes in the pectoralis muscle. A significant (p ≤ 0.0001) drop in the lean dry weight of the pectoralis muscle during the moult period when the birds were flightless was attributed to disuse atrophy. The concentration of iron in the pectoralis muscle increased significantly (p ≤ 0.0054) during the moult, but the total amount of iron in the muscle remained constant during the three periods. It was revealed that iron was not lost during disuse atrophy, but that it became more concentrated as muscle mass decreased. The diverse results reported in the literature need to be reevaluated in light of concurrent changes in muscle under different experimental conditions and also the different fiber type composition of the muscles studied.