Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics
Abstract Narwhal and beluga whales are important species to Arctic ecosystems, including subsistence hunting by Inuit, and little is understood about their mating ecology. Reproductive tract metrics vary across species in relation to mating strategy, and have been used to infer mating ecology. Repro...
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crwiley:10.1111/mms.12165 2024-06-23T07:50:05+00:00 Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics Kelley, Trish C. Stewart, Robert E. A. Yurkowski, David J. Ryan, Anna Ferguson, Steven H. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ArcticNet Earth Rangers Manitoba Hydro 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12165 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fmms.12165 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12165 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Marine Mammal Science volume 31, issue 2, page 479-500 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2014 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12165 2024-06-04T06:35:18Z Abstract Narwhal and beluga whales are important species to Arctic ecosystems, including subsistence hunting by Inuit, and little is understood about their mating ecology. Reproductive tract metrics vary across species in relation to mating strategy, and have been used to infer mating ecology. Reproductive tracts from beluga and narwhal were collected between 1997 and 2008 from five beluga stocks and two narwhal stocks across the Canadian Arctic. Tract length for males and females, relative testes mass for males, and tusk length for male narwhal were measured. We assessed variation relative to species, body size, stock, maturity, and season. Significant variation was found in testes mass across month and stock for beluga, and no significant difference between stock or date of harvest for narwhal. Beluga had significantly larger testes relative to body size than narwhal, suggesting they were more promiscuous than narwhal. A significant relationship was found between narwhal tusk length and testes mass, indicating the tusk may be important in female mate choice. No significant differences were found between narwhal and beluga reproductive tract length for males or females. The mating systems suggested for narwhal and belugas by our results mean the two species may respond differently to climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Delphinapterus leucas inuit Monodon monoceros narwhal* Wiley Online Library Arctic The Tusk ENVELOPE(-168.250,-168.250,-84.867,-84.867) Marine Mammal Science 31 2 479 500 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Narwhal and beluga whales are important species to Arctic ecosystems, including subsistence hunting by Inuit, and little is understood about their mating ecology. Reproductive tract metrics vary across species in relation to mating strategy, and have been used to infer mating ecology. Reproductive tracts from beluga and narwhal were collected between 1997 and 2008 from five beluga stocks and two narwhal stocks across the Canadian Arctic. Tract length for males and females, relative testes mass for males, and tusk length for male narwhal were measured. We assessed variation relative to species, body size, stock, maturity, and season. Significant variation was found in testes mass across month and stock for beluga, and no significant difference between stock or date of harvest for narwhal. Beluga had significantly larger testes relative to body size than narwhal, suggesting they were more promiscuous than narwhal. A significant relationship was found between narwhal tusk length and testes mass, indicating the tusk may be important in female mate choice. No significant differences were found between narwhal and beluga reproductive tract length for males or females. The mating systems suggested for narwhal and belugas by our results mean the two species may respond differently to climate change. |
author2 |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ArcticNet Earth Rangers Manitoba Hydro |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kelley, Trish C. Stewart, Robert E. A. Yurkowski, David J. Ryan, Anna Ferguson, Steven H. |
spellingShingle |
Kelley, Trish C. Stewart, Robert E. A. Yurkowski, David J. Ryan, Anna Ferguson, Steven H. Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
author_facet |
Kelley, Trish C. Stewart, Robert E. A. Yurkowski, David J. Ryan, Anna Ferguson, Steven H. |
author_sort |
Kelley, Trish C. |
title |
Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
title_short |
Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
title_full |
Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
title_fullStr |
Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mating ecology of beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( Monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
title_sort |
mating ecology of beluga ( delphinapterus leucas) and narwhal ( monodon monoceros)as estimated by reproductive tract metrics |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12165 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fmms.12165 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12165 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-168.250,-168.250,-84.867,-84.867) |
geographic |
Arctic The Tusk |
geographic_facet |
Arctic The Tusk |
genre |
Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Delphinapterus leucas inuit Monodon monoceros narwhal* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Beluga Beluga* Climate change Delphinapterus leucas inuit Monodon monoceros narwhal* |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 31, issue 2, page 479-500 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12165 |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
479 |
op_container_end_page |
500 |
_version_ |
1802640846920613888 |