Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca
The study of cetaceans in captivity provides information on behavior, acoustics, reproduction and physiology that is often difficult to obtain with free-ranging populations. The present study examined the influence of the estrous cycle of a captive female killer whale on the rate, duration, initiati...
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ftsouthmissispun:oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1664 2023-07-30T04:04:39+02:00 Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca Horback, Kristina Marie 2010-05-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/613 https://aquila.usm.edu/context/masters_theses/article/1664/viewcontent/Horback_Kristina_Marie_May2010_copy.pdf unknown The Aquila Digital Community https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/613 https://aquila.usm.edu/context/masters_theses/article/1664/viewcontent/Horback_Kristina_Marie_May2010_copy.pdf Master's Theses Comparative Psychology Psychology Social and Behavioral Sciences text 2010 ftsouthmissispun 2023-07-15T18:51:48Z The study of cetaceans in captivity provides information on behavior, acoustics, reproduction and physiology that is often difficult to obtain with free-ranging populations. The present study examined the influence of the estrous cycle of a captive female killer whale on the rate, duration, initiation and reception of social behavior she performed with her only pool mate, a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Although these two delphinid species do not commonly associate in the wild, these pool mates often engaged in affiliative tactile and social behaviors. The objectives of this project were to: (a) examine the influence of cycli~ gonadal steroid hormones on social behavior in the killer whale, and (b) document a rare interspecific interaction. A total of five estrous cycles, covering the span of eight months, were analyzed in the present study. Weekly blood serum samples from the female killer whale were analyzed to ascertain the estrous cycle phase of this focal subject. Hormonal data was then compared to opportunistic video footage of the subjects' interaction. Based on previous reproductive endocrinology studies, it was hypothesized that the female killer whale's initiation of such behaviors would increase during the fertile window of behavioral estrus. The average rate of female-initiated tactile behavior, female-to-male chasing, and pair swimming was significantly higher during the luteal phase than the follicular phase, with a peak in such behaviors occurring more than a week after the fertile window. In addition, the average duration of female initiated tactile behavior was significantly longer during the luteal phases. Male-initiated social behaviors did not significantly change in rate or duration throughout the focal subject's estrous cycle, suggesting that the male bottlenose was not perceptive to the killer whale's hormonal cycling. Furthermore, the average duration of resting by the female subject did not significantly change throughout the estrous cycle, suggesting that the increase in socially ... Text Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale The University of Southern Mississippi: The Aquila Digital Community |
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The University of Southern Mississippi: The Aquila Digital Community |
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topic |
Comparative Psychology Psychology Social and Behavioral Sciences |
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Comparative Psychology Psychology Social and Behavioral Sciences Horback, Kristina Marie Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
topic_facet |
Comparative Psychology Psychology Social and Behavioral Sciences |
description |
The study of cetaceans in captivity provides information on behavior, acoustics, reproduction and physiology that is often difficult to obtain with free-ranging populations. The present study examined the influence of the estrous cycle of a captive female killer whale on the rate, duration, initiation and reception of social behavior she performed with her only pool mate, a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Although these two delphinid species do not commonly associate in the wild, these pool mates often engaged in affiliative tactile and social behaviors. The objectives of this project were to: (a) examine the influence of cycli~ gonadal steroid hormones on social behavior in the killer whale, and (b) document a rare interspecific interaction. A total of five estrous cycles, covering the span of eight months, were analyzed in the present study. Weekly blood serum samples from the female killer whale were analyzed to ascertain the estrous cycle phase of this focal subject. Hormonal data was then compared to opportunistic video footage of the subjects' interaction. Based on previous reproductive endocrinology studies, it was hypothesized that the female killer whale's initiation of such behaviors would increase during the fertile window of behavioral estrus. The average rate of female-initiated tactile behavior, female-to-male chasing, and pair swimming was significantly higher during the luteal phase than the follicular phase, with a peak in such behaviors occurring more than a week after the fertile window. In addition, the average duration of female initiated tactile behavior was significantly longer during the luteal phases. Male-initiated social behaviors did not significantly change in rate or duration throughout the focal subject's estrous cycle, suggesting that the male bottlenose was not perceptive to the killer whale's hormonal cycling. Furthermore, the average duration of resting by the female subject did not significantly change throughout the estrous cycle, suggesting that the increase in socially ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Horback, Kristina Marie |
author_facet |
Horback, Kristina Marie |
author_sort |
Horback, Kristina Marie |
title |
Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
title_short |
Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
title_full |
Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
title_fullStr |
Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
title_full_unstemmed |
Variation in Social Behavior Throughout the Estrous Cycle of a Captive Killer Whale Orcinus orca |
title_sort |
variation in social behavior throughout the estrous cycle of a captive killer whale orcinus orca |
publisher |
The Aquila Digital Community |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/613 https://aquila.usm.edu/context/masters_theses/article/1664/viewcontent/Horback_Kristina_Marie_May2010_copy.pdf |
genre |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
op_source |
Master's Theses |
op_relation |
https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/613 https://aquila.usm.edu/context/masters_theses/article/1664/viewcontent/Horback_Kristina_Marie_May2010_copy.pdf |
_version_ |
1772816202297507840 |