scholarly journals Sperm whales of the Southeast Pacific. Part VII. Reproduction and growth in the female

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-39
Author(s):  
Robert Clarke ◽  
Obla Paliza ◽  
Koen Van Waerebeek
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Lumbar Vertebrae ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
Graafian Follicle ◽  
Southeast Pacific

This report on the reproduction and growth of the female sperm whale Physeter catodon is Part VII of our work on this whale in the Southeast Pacific. There were 1105 female sperm whales in our sample collected from two whaling stations in Chile and two in Peru. Since Clarke and Paliza (1972) have shown that they belonged to a single stock, we have worked them together. A second Graafian follicle develops more than the others in each ovary so to improve the possibility of fertilization in case the first ovum fails to be impregnated. We consider the size of the Graafian follicle at, or near, ovulation to be around 100mm, larger than what has been found in sperm whales from other seas. The corpus luteum of pregnancy is significantly larger than the corpus luteum of ovulation. The corpus albicans reduces in size throughout the life of the whale and probably does not disappear. There is a highly significant correlation between the total number of corpora and age: therefore we use the number of corpora as an indication of age. The corpora atretica are more frequent in older female sperm whales reflecting less fertility in this group. The sexual cycle in sperm whales of the Southeast Pacific has been revised to last 4yrs. Sexual maturity in female sperm whales is attained at 8.2m long and 6.5yrs of age, being both values lower than in sperm whales from other seas. The female sperm whale is born at 3.90m. The incidence of twins, 0.91%, is higher than in other seas. Fertility is low in very young whales (1-2 ovarian corpora) and it is at its lowest in the older group (over 12 corpora). The highest fertility is when females have 3-10 ovarian corpora and they are 15 to 35yrs old. The proportion of active females in pre oestrus during the months of pairing is significantly higher than during the other months. Accessory ovulations during oestrus are represented by the small groups of lactating-and-recently ovulated and lactating-and-pregnant whales. Unsuccessful ovulations are more frequent in late lactation and late resting periods, being post-partum ovulation rare. Female sperm whales in the Southeast Pacific may ovulate up to four and possibly five times during an oestrus. Physical maturity is attained at 11.2m long and 33.5yrs old. Fusion of the vertebrae begins at both ends of the vertebral column and finishes between the posterior thoracic and the lumbar vertebrae. Female sperm whales of the Southeast Pacific may live, at least, up to 50yrs of age. The age at recruitment between 1959 and 1962 was 20-21yrs of age when they had accumulated 4–5 corpora in their ovaries.

scholarly journals The development and morphology of the gonads of the mouse.— Part I. The morphogenesis of the indifferent gonad and of the ovary

1927 ◽  
Vol 101 (711) ◽  
pp. 391-409 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Subsequent Paper ◽  
Adult Ovary

The work described in this series of papers was carried out with a view to furnishing controls of the experiments on the mouse undertaken in collaboration with Dr. A. S. Parkes and others. This paper deals with the development of the indifferent gonad of the mouse, up to the stage at which it differentiates into an ovary or a testis. This takes place on the 12th day post coitum , when the testis can first be distinguished. The ovaries remain in the indifferent stage for some time longer, but can be identified by a process of elimination. The present paper is concerned also with the development of the ovary from the time when sex can be distinguished until sexual maturity (8 weeks post partum ). It is not proposed to consider here the structure of the maturing follicle, the process of atresia, or the formation of the corpus luteum. These problems will be reserved for a subsequent paper on the adult ovary of the mouse.

PROGESTERONE IN THE HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD IN THE PREOVULATORY PERIOD OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

1967 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benno Runnebaum ◽  
Josef Zander
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Human Peripheral Blood ◽  
Progesterone Concentration ◽  
Plasma Progesterone ◽  
Progesterone Secretion ◽  
Graafian Follicle ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mean Concentration

ABSTRACT Progesterone was determined and identified in human peripheral blood during the preovulatory period of the menstrual cycle, by combined isotope derivative and recrystallization analysis. The mean concentration of progesterone in 1.095 ml of plasma obtained 9 days before ovulation was 0.084 μg/100 ml. However, the mean concentration of progesterone in 1.122 ml of plasma obtained 4 days before ovulation was 0.279 μg/100 ml. These data demonstrate a source of progesterone secretion other than the corpus luteum. The higher plasma-progesterone concentration 4 days before ovulation may indicate progesterone secretion of the ripening Graafian follicle of the ovary.

scholarly journals Cetacean strandings along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua from 2014 to 2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joëlle De Weerdt ◽  
Eric Angel Ramos ◽  
Etienne Pouplard ◽  
Marc Kochzius ◽  
Phillip Clapham
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Toothed Whale ◽  
Beaked Whales ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Cuvier’S Beaked Whale ◽  
Stenella Attenuata

AbstractDocumenting marine mammal strandings provides important information needed to understand the occurrence and distribution patterns of species. Here, we report on strandings of cetaceans on the Pacific (n = 11) and Caribbean (n = 2) coasts of Nicaragua, documented opportunistically from 2014 to 2021. Strandings included three species of baleen whale (blue whale Balaenoptera musculus, Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera edeni, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae) and five species of toothed whale (dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima, Guiana dolphin Sotalia guianensis, pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris, Cuvier’s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris). These are the first published accounts of blue whales, Bryde’s whales, dwarf sperm whales, and Cuvier’s beaked whales in Nicaraguan waters. Limited resources and the advanced decomposition of animals prevented necropsies in most cases, the identification of the causes of mortality in all cases, and the species identification of two dolphins. Information derived from these stranding events offers new insights into the occurrence of marine mammals on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Central America.

Ultrastructural studies of the bovine Graafian Follicle and corpus luteum

1968 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis Priedkalns ◽  
Alvin F. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies ◽  
Graafian Follicle

Akodon molinae (Rodentia Cricetidae), a new laboratory animal: breeding, management and reproductive performance

1980 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Susana Merani ◽  
Marta Susana Lizarralde
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Animal Breeding ◽  
Haemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Sex Ratio At Birth ◽  
Breeding Management ◽  
Laboratory Colony

Akodon molinae, a vole mouse widely distributed in central Argentina, shows remarkable chromosome polymorphisms. It is one of the natural reservoirs of the actiologic agent of haemorrhagic fever, and a laboratory colony could be of great help in investigating this disease. Pregnancy lasted 23 (range 21-25) days. Litters of 4-5 young were born to monogamous breeding pairs about every 30 days, with weaning at 26 days post partum. The sex ratio at birth was 505 males to 500 females: at weaning it was 460 to 440. Sexual maturity was attained at about 16 weeks of age in males and 12-20 weeks in females. Akodon molinae is easy to handle, but fighting and killing or neglect of young are problems.

scholarly journals Foraging dives of sperm whales in the north-western Mediterranean Sea

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 1799-1808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Gannier ◽  
Estelle Petiau ◽  
Violaine Dulau ◽  
Luke Rendell
Keyword(s):  
Prey Capture ◽  
Sperm Whale ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Sperm Whales ◽  
The North ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Single Animal ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Passive Acoustic ◽  
North Western

Oceanic odontocetes rely on echolocation to forage on pelagic or benthic prey, but their feeding ecology is difficult to study. We studied sperm whale foraging dives during summer in the north-western Mediterranean, using visual and passive acoustic observations. Clicking and creaking activities were recorded during dives of focal whales, at distances <3000 m using a towed hydrophone and DAT recorder. A total of 52 sperm whales were recorded over at least one full dive cycle. Data were obtained for 156 complete dives in total, including sequences of up to nine consecutive dives. Various dive and environmental variables were entered in multiple linear regression and principal components analysis, as well as estimated mass of whales. Creak rate was 0.80 creak/minute on average, with moderate variance. Bigger whales tended to dive longer at greater depths (as suggested by ascent durations), and emitted more creaks during a dive: 20.2 creaks/dive on average for individuals <24 tons, compared to 25.6 creaks/dive for animals >24 tons of estimated mass. For individual whales, creak rates did not vary significantly with size (range 0.78–0.80 creak/minute), but decreased with time of the day, and increased for shorter foraging phases. For different dives, higher creak rates were also observed earlier in the day, and linked to shorter foraging phases and surface durations. Although the exact significance of creak emissions (i.e. foraging attempt or prey capture) is not precisely determined, creak rates may be reliably used to quantify sperm whale foraging when single animal dives can be followed acoustically.

Control of pregnancy, parturition and luteolysis in marsupials

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 535 ◽  
Author(s):  
LA Hinds
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Corpus Luteum ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Secretory Activity ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Pituitary Prolactin

In most eutherian species the function of the corpus luteum (CL) is influenced by extrinsic factors and it is subordinate to the pituitary, placenta, or uterus. In contrast, in marsupials the CL is relatively autonomous. Although the pituitary is essential for the formation of the CL, thereafter the secretory activity of the CL is independent of luteotrophic support, and the uterus is not luteolytic. Furthermore, the life span of the CL is unaffected by pregnancy, except in the Macropodidae (kangaroos and wallabies), in which the secretory activity of the CL is shortened under the influence of the fetus. At parturition the macropodid fetus, possibly via a release of glucocorticoids, causes the release of prostaglandins, presumed to be of uterine origin. The effect of the prostaglandin is to induce the release of prolactin from the maternal pituitary. Prolactin, and not prostaglandin, induces luteolysis and advances the events of post-partum oestrus. In the non-pregnant cycle, the mechanism of luteolysis is different; it does not involve prolactin, and the luteolytic signal is of non-uterine, possibly intrinsic, origin.

Reproductive Ecology of The Allied Rock-wallaby, Petrogale assimilis.

1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
R. Delaney
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Reproductive Ecology ◽  
Oestrous Cycle ◽  
Embryonic Diapause ◽  
Minimum Age

Petrogale assimilis has a typical life history and reproductive ecology for a macropodid of its size. Both sexes are capable of reproducing continuously; gestation is about the same length as the oestrous cycle (approximately one month); a single young is born and, a post-partum oestrus and embryonic diapause probably occurs. The sex ratio of young is unbiased. Pouch young remain permanently attached to the teat until 110 - 143 days (n=11). Permanent exit from the pouch occurs at 180 - 231 days (mean=201 days, n=25), and weaning occurs between 267 - 387 days (n=5). Sexual maturity occurs at a minimum age of 17.5 months in females and 23 months in males.

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