Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales
The cost of reproduction is a key parameter determining a species' life history strategy. Despite exhibiting some of the fastest offspring growth rates among mammals, the cost of reproduction in baleen whales is largely unknown since standard field metabolic techniques cannot be applied. We qua...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Maternal-body-size-and-condition-determine/991005544545307891 |
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ftmurdochunivall:oai:alma.61MUN_INST:11136371320007891 2024-09-15T17:57:29+00:00 Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales Christiansen, F. Vivier, F. Charlton, C. Ward, R. Amerson, A. Burnell, S. Bejder, L. 2018 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Maternal-body-size-and-condition-determine/991005544545307891 eng eng Inter-Research ispartof: Marine Ecology Progress Series spage 267 epage 281 vol 592 doi:10.3354/meps12522 WOS:000428818700018 0171-8630 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 991005544545307891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Maternal-body-size-and-condition-determine/991005544545307891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005544545307891 © 2018 Inter-Research text Article 2018 ftmurdochunivall https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 2024-08-15T00:52:51Z The cost of reproduction is a key parameter determining a species' life history strategy. Despite exhibiting some of the fastest offspring growth rates among mammals, the cost of reproduction in baleen whales is largely unknown since standard field metabolic techniques cannot be applied. We quantified the cost of reproduction for southern right whales Eubalaena australis over a 3 mo breeding season. We did this by determining the relationship between calf growth rate and maternal rate of loss in energy reserves, using repeated measurements of body volume obtained from un manned aerial vehicle photogrammetry. We recorded 1118 body volume estimates from 40 female and calf pairs over 40 to 89 d. Calves grew at a rate of 3.2 cm d-1 (SD = 0.45) in body length and 0.081 m3 d-1 (SD = 0.011) in body volume, while females decreased in volume at a rate of 0.126 m3 d-1 (SD = 0.036). The average volume conversion efficiency from female to calf was 68% (SD = 16.91). Calf growth rate was positively related to the rate of loss in maternal body volume, suggesting that maternal volume loss is proportional to the energy investment into her calf. Maternal in vestment was determined by her body size and condition, with longer and more rotund females investing more volume into their calves compared to shorter and leaner females. Lactating females lost on average 25% of their initial body volume over the 3 mo breeding season. This study demonstrates the considerable energetic cost that females face during the lactation period, and highlights the importance of sufficientmaternal energyreserves for reproduction in this capital breeding species. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whales Murdoch University Research Portal Marine Ecology Progress Series 592 267 281 |
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Open Polar |
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Murdoch University Research Portal |
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language |
English |
description |
The cost of reproduction is a key parameter determining a species' life history strategy. Despite exhibiting some of the fastest offspring growth rates among mammals, the cost of reproduction in baleen whales is largely unknown since standard field metabolic techniques cannot be applied. We quantified the cost of reproduction for southern right whales Eubalaena australis over a 3 mo breeding season. We did this by determining the relationship between calf growth rate and maternal rate of loss in energy reserves, using repeated measurements of body volume obtained from un manned aerial vehicle photogrammetry. We recorded 1118 body volume estimates from 40 female and calf pairs over 40 to 89 d. Calves grew at a rate of 3.2 cm d-1 (SD = 0.45) in body length and 0.081 m3 d-1 (SD = 0.011) in body volume, while females decreased in volume at a rate of 0.126 m3 d-1 (SD = 0.036). The average volume conversion efficiency from female to calf was 68% (SD = 16.91). Calf growth rate was positively related to the rate of loss in maternal body volume, suggesting that maternal volume loss is proportional to the energy investment into her calf. Maternal in vestment was determined by her body size and condition, with longer and more rotund females investing more volume into their calves compared to shorter and leaner females. Lactating females lost on average 25% of their initial body volume over the 3 mo breeding season. This study demonstrates the considerable energetic cost that females face during the lactation period, and highlights the importance of sufficientmaternal energyreserves for reproduction in this capital breeding species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Christiansen, F. Vivier, F. Charlton, C. Ward, R. Amerson, A. Burnell, S. Bejder, L. |
spellingShingle |
Christiansen, F. Vivier, F. Charlton, C. Ward, R. Amerson, A. Burnell, S. Bejder, L. Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
author_facet |
Christiansen, F. Vivier, F. Charlton, C. Ward, R. Amerson, A. Burnell, S. Bejder, L. |
author_sort |
Christiansen, F. |
title |
Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
title_short |
Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
title_full |
Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
title_fullStr |
Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
title_sort |
maternal body size and condition determine calf growth rates in southern right whales |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Maternal-body-size-and-condition-determine/991005544545307891 |
genre |
baleen whales |
genre_facet |
baleen whales |
op_relation |
ispartof: Marine Ecology Progress Series spage 267 epage 281 vol 592 doi:10.3354/meps12522 WOS:000428818700018 0171-8630 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 991005544545307891 https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Maternal-body-size-and-condition-determine/991005544545307891 alma:61MUN_INST/bibs/991005544545307891 |
op_rights |
© 2018 Inter-Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12522 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
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592 |
container_start_page |
267 |
op_container_end_page |
281 |
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1810433634149072896 |