BONE MARROW FAT AS AN INDICATOR OF UNGULATE CONDITION -- HOW GOOD IS IT?

• Main Author: Ballard, Warren B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Lakehead University 1995
• Subjects: Alces alces; Canis lupus; Rangifer tarandus; Alaska
• Online Access: http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/885

Bone marrow fat has been widely used for assessing physical condition of ungulates at time of death. I review femur marrow fat levels of wolf (Canis lupus)-killed moose (Alces alces) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from several areas of North America, compare them with fat content of wolf-killed ungulates from northwest Alaska, and identify factors which should be considered when evaluating bone marrow fat. Assessment of relative condition based upon bone marrow fat should consider type of mortality, season of mortality, vulnerability, and the relative condition of the population in relation to the individual being examined.