Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals

Information on the expenditure and investment of energy in southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, was collected during breeding and molt over four field seasons at South Georgia. Weight and body composition changes of mothers, pups, and breeding males were monitored during the breeding season. T...

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Main Authors: Fedak, Michael A., Arnbom, Tom A., McConnell, B.J., Chambers, C., Boyd, Ian L., Harwood, J ., McCann, T. S.
Other Authors: Le Boeuf, Burney J., Laws, Richard M.
Format: Book Part
Language:English
Published: University of California Press 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/expenditure-investment-and-acquisition-of-energy-in-southern-elephant-seals(35021793-3159-4b9b-a796-4858b3d07fbb).html
https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022
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spelling ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/35021793-3159-4b9b-a796-4858b3d07fbb 2023-05-15T16:05:39+02:00 Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals Fedak, Michael A. Arnbom, Tom A. McConnell, B.J. Chambers, C. Boyd, Ian L. Harwood, J . McCann, T. S. Le Boeuf, Burney J. Laws, Richard M. 2020-10-12 https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/expenditure-investment-and-acquisition-of-energy-in-southern-elephant-seals(35021793-3159-4b9b-a796-4858b3d07fbb).html https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022 eng eng University of California Press info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Fedak , M A , Arnbom , T A , McConnell , B J , Chambers , C , Boyd , I L , Harwood , J & McCann , T S 2020 , Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals . in B J Le Boeuf & R M Laws (eds) , Elephant Seals : Population Ecology, Behavior, and Physiology . reprint edn , University of California Press , pp. 354-373 . https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022 bookPart 2020 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022 2021-12-26T14:38:23Z Information on the expenditure and investment of energy in southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, was collected during breeding and molt over four field seasons at South Georgia. Weight and body composition changes of mothers, pups, and breeding males were monitored during the breeding season. These changes were also measured in adult females, before and after the 70-day period when animals fed at sea between breeding and molt. During this period, information on foraging movements and behavior was gathered using purpose-built satellite-relay data loggers. Body composition changes were measured using isotope dilution techniques. Breeding energetics information is discussed in relation to the evidence for differential investment in male and female pups. Large females produce larger pups, both at birth and weaning. Male pups are born larger than female pups. However, there is no evidence that mothers invest more energy (either relative or absolute) in male pups after birth once female size and birth weight are taken into account. Foraging movements and diving behavior are discussed in terms of the oceanography of the foraging area and possible constraints placed by prey consumption on the seals’ dive behavior. We suggest that the long-distance travel of females to distant feeding locations may be advantageous in providing for the requirements for reliable food sources in a long-lived, uniparous mammal. Dive characteristics changed during the different phases of activity in foraging animals in relation to the average daily velocity of the animal, water depth, and undersea topography. Book Part Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seals University of St Andrews: Research Portal 354 373
institution Open Polar
collection University of St Andrews: Research Portal
op_collection_id ftunstandrewcris
language English
description Information on the expenditure and investment of energy in southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, was collected during breeding and molt over four field seasons at South Georgia. Weight and body composition changes of mothers, pups, and breeding males were monitored during the breeding season. These changes were also measured in adult females, before and after the 70-day period when animals fed at sea between breeding and molt. During this period, information on foraging movements and behavior was gathered using purpose-built satellite-relay data loggers. Body composition changes were measured using isotope dilution techniques. Breeding energetics information is discussed in relation to the evidence for differential investment in male and female pups. Large females produce larger pups, both at birth and weaning. Male pups are born larger than female pups. However, there is no evidence that mothers invest more energy (either relative or absolute) in male pups after birth once female size and birth weight are taken into account. Foraging movements and diving behavior are discussed in terms of the oceanography of the foraging area and possible constraints placed by prey consumption on the seals’ dive behavior. We suggest that the long-distance travel of females to distant feeding locations may be advantageous in providing for the requirements for reliable food sources in a long-lived, uniparous mammal. Dive characteristics changed during the different phases of activity in foraging animals in relation to the average daily velocity of the animal, water depth, and undersea topography.
author2 Le Boeuf, Burney J.
Laws, Richard M.
format Book Part
author Fedak, Michael A.
Arnbom, Tom A.
McConnell, B.J.
Chambers, C.
Boyd, Ian L.
Harwood, J .
McCann, T. S.
spellingShingle Fedak, Michael A.
Arnbom, Tom A.
McConnell, B.J.
Chambers, C.
Boyd, Ian L.
Harwood, J .
McCann, T. S.
Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
author_facet Fedak, Michael A.
Arnbom, Tom A.
McConnell, B.J.
Chambers, C.
Boyd, Ian L.
Harwood, J .
McCann, T. S.
author_sort Fedak, Michael A.
title Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
title_short Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
title_full Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
title_fullStr Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
title_full_unstemmed Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
title_sort expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals
publisher University of California Press
publishDate 2020
url https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/expenditure-investment-and-acquisition-of-energy-in-southern-elephant-seals(35021793-3159-4b9b-a796-4858b3d07fbb).html
https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022
genre Elephant Seals
Mirounga leonina
Southern Elephant Seals
genre_facet Elephant Seals
Mirounga leonina
Southern Elephant Seals
op_source Fedak , M A , Arnbom , T A , McConnell , B J , Chambers , C , Boyd , I L , Harwood , J & McCann , T S 2020 , Expenditure, investment, and acquisition of energy in southern elephant seals . in B J Le Boeuf & R M Laws (eds) , Elephant Seals : Population Ecology, Behavior, and Physiology . reprint edn , University of California Press , pp. 354-373 . https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520328150-022
container_start_page 354
op_container_end_page 373
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