Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean
The goal of the present study was to complement existing data of testosterone and progesterone in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) blubber from the eastern North Pacific Ocean to evaluate effects of seasonality and location on these hormones and to better assess reproductive status of individuals....
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:9167553 2023-05-15T15:36:25+02:00 Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean Melica, Valentina Atkinson, Shannon Gendron, Diane Calambokidis, John Mueter, Franz 2021-09-01 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9167553/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34087186 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 en eng http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9167553/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34087186 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 Gen Comp Endocrinol Article Text 2021 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 2022-06-12T00:42:11Z The goal of the present study was to complement existing data of testosterone and progesterone in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) blubber from the eastern North Pacific Ocean to evaluate effects of seasonality and location on these hormones and to better assess reproductive status of individuals. Physiological parameters regarding reproduction are fundamental for describing population dynamics, and hormones can be a valid tool to estimate those for wildlife populations. In this study, blubber tissue was validated for testosterone and progesterone assays. Hormone concentrations were measured in 69 (35 males and 34 females) blubber samples from live (n = 66) and stranded (n = 3) animals collected between 2002 and 2016 from a known winter reproductive ground in the Gulf of California (GoC) and summer feeding areas along the United States West Coast (USWC), specifically off the states of California and Oregon. Results were combined with sighting histories as a tool to determine reproductive status of individual whales. Testosterone concentrations in adult male blue whales were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in blubber biopsies sampled off the USWC between the months of June and November compared to those sampled in the GoC between February and April. Elevated testosterone concentrations likely indicate physiological preparation for reproductive activity while the animals were present off the USWC. Progesterone concentrations were significantly elevated in pregnant females, confirming progesterone as an indicator of pregnancy in blue whales. Probabilities of being pregnant were estimated for adult females with unknown sighting histories based on progesterone concentrations. Testosterone in females was detected and measured only in pregnant whales suggesting its biosynthesis or metabolism is altered during gestation. These results provide updated and new information on the reproductive cycle of blue whales in the eastern North Pacific, posing new milestones to better estimate the timing of the mating season for ... Text Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale PubMed Central (PMC) Pacific General and Comparative Endocrinology 310 113830 |
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Article Melica, Valentina Atkinson, Shannon Gendron, Diane Calambokidis, John Mueter, Franz Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
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Article |
description |
The goal of the present study was to complement existing data of testosterone and progesterone in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) blubber from the eastern North Pacific Ocean to evaluate effects of seasonality and location on these hormones and to better assess reproductive status of individuals. Physiological parameters regarding reproduction are fundamental for describing population dynamics, and hormones can be a valid tool to estimate those for wildlife populations. In this study, blubber tissue was validated for testosterone and progesterone assays. Hormone concentrations were measured in 69 (35 males and 34 females) blubber samples from live (n = 66) and stranded (n = 3) animals collected between 2002 and 2016 from a known winter reproductive ground in the Gulf of California (GoC) and summer feeding areas along the United States West Coast (USWC), specifically off the states of California and Oregon. Results were combined with sighting histories as a tool to determine reproductive status of individual whales. Testosterone concentrations in adult male blue whales were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in blubber biopsies sampled off the USWC between the months of June and November compared to those sampled in the GoC between February and April. Elevated testosterone concentrations likely indicate physiological preparation for reproductive activity while the animals were present off the USWC. Progesterone concentrations were significantly elevated in pregnant females, confirming progesterone as an indicator of pregnancy in blue whales. Probabilities of being pregnant were estimated for adult females with unknown sighting histories based on progesterone concentrations. Testosterone in females was detected and measured only in pregnant whales suggesting its biosynthesis or metabolism is altered during gestation. These results provide updated and new information on the reproductive cycle of blue whales in the eastern North Pacific, posing new milestones to better estimate the timing of the mating season for ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Melica, Valentina Atkinson, Shannon Gendron, Diane Calambokidis, John Mueter, Franz |
author_facet |
Melica, Valentina Atkinson, Shannon Gendron, Diane Calambokidis, John Mueter, Franz |
author_sort |
Melica, Valentina |
title |
Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
title_short |
Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
title_full |
Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern North Pacific Ocean |
title_sort |
blubber endocrine profiles provide insights into reproductive biology in blue whales from the eastern north pacific ocean |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9167553/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34087186 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale |
op_source |
Gen Comp Endocrinol |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9167553/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34087186 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113830 |
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General and Comparative Endocrinology |
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310 |
container_start_page |
113830 |
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1766366768208543744 |