INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION?
We tested whether incisor arcades of Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) differed between males and females of known age to examine how allometric differences in jaw architecture might relate to sexual segregation. Lower jaws were collected from moose killed by hunters, and from moose that died of eit...
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Lakehead University
2001
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ftjalces:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/571 2023-05-15T13:13:30+02:00 INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? Spaeth, Douglas F. Hundertmark, Kris J. Bowyer, R. Terry Barboza, Perry S. Stephenson, Thomas R. Peterson, Rolf O. 2001-01-01 application/pdf http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571 eng eng Lakehead University http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571/653 http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571 Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose; Vol. 37 No. 1 (2001): Alces Vol. 37 No. 1 (2001); 217-226 2293-6629 0835-5851 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Peer-reviewed Article 2001 ftjalces 2022-02-12T19:35:49Z We tested whether incisor arcades of Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) differed between males and females of known age to examine how allometric differences in jaw architecture might relate to sexual segregation. Lower jaws were collected from moose killed by hunters, and from moose that died of either natural causes of collisions with vehicles. We measured the breadth (width) and the depth (protrusion) of the incisor arcade of moose; age was determined by counting cementum annuli of incisors. Arcade breadth of moose followed von Bertalanffy models of growth, with an asymptote at about 4 years of age for both sexes. Regression models differed for males and female moose; arcade breath for males was significantly larger than for females. Data from the literature indicated body mass of females also reaches an asymptote at 4 years old. Males, however, do not attain an asymptote in body mass until 8-10 years of age. When incisor breadth was considered relative asymptotic body mass, incisor breadth of males was less than that of females. Coefficients of incisor breadth relative to body mass, however, scaled similarly for male (0.249) and female (0.260) moose. Incisor depth did not differ between the sexes when depth was corrected for age. Our data indicate that incisor breadth, but not depth, scaled with body mass. Thus, muzzle morphology may exhibit more plasticity than previously thought. We hypothesize that muzzle architecture of moose, as reflected in incisor breadth and depth, relates to the diets of the sexes when they are spatially segregated. Whether incisor dimensions are a cause or consequence of sexual segregation, however, is uncertain. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Alces (A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Alces (A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose) |
op_collection_id |
ftjalces |
language |
English |
description |
We tested whether incisor arcades of Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) differed between males and females of known age to examine how allometric differences in jaw architecture might relate to sexual segregation. Lower jaws were collected from moose killed by hunters, and from moose that died of either natural causes of collisions with vehicles. We measured the breadth (width) and the depth (protrusion) of the incisor arcade of moose; age was determined by counting cementum annuli of incisors. Arcade breadth of moose followed von Bertalanffy models of growth, with an asymptote at about 4 years of age for both sexes. Regression models differed for males and female moose; arcade breath for males was significantly larger than for females. Data from the literature indicated body mass of females also reaches an asymptote at 4 years old. Males, however, do not attain an asymptote in body mass until 8-10 years of age. When incisor breadth was considered relative asymptotic body mass, incisor breadth of males was less than that of females. Coefficients of incisor breadth relative to body mass, however, scaled similarly for male (0.249) and female (0.260) moose. Incisor depth did not differ between the sexes when depth was corrected for age. Our data indicate that incisor breadth, but not depth, scaled with body mass. Thus, muzzle morphology may exhibit more plasticity than previously thought. We hypothesize that muzzle architecture of moose, as reflected in incisor breadth and depth, relates to the diets of the sexes when they are spatially segregated. Whether incisor dimensions are a cause or consequence of sexual segregation, however, is uncertain. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Spaeth, Douglas F. Hundertmark, Kris J. Bowyer, R. Terry Barboza, Perry S. Stephenson, Thomas R. Peterson, Rolf O. |
spellingShingle |
Spaeth, Douglas F. Hundertmark, Kris J. Bowyer, R. Terry Barboza, Perry S. Stephenson, Thomas R. Peterson, Rolf O. INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
author_facet |
Spaeth, Douglas F. Hundertmark, Kris J. Bowyer, R. Terry Barboza, Perry S. Stephenson, Thomas R. Peterson, Rolf O. |
author_sort |
Spaeth, Douglas F. |
title |
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
title_short |
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
title_full |
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
title_fullStr |
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
title_full_unstemmed |
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION? |
title_sort |
incisor arcades of alaskan moose: is dimorphism related to sexual segregation? |
publisher |
Lakehead University |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571 |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose; Vol. 37 No. 1 (2001): Alces Vol. 37 No. 1 (2001); 217-226 2293-6629 0835-5851 |
op_relation |
http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571/653 http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/571 |
_version_ |
1766258746881736704 |