Observations on the Early Development of a Captive Bottlenose Dolphin Calf

Cockcroft, Victor G.; Ross, G. J. B.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-440280-5.50031-7

Cited by 91 publications

(144 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Immature dolphins have lower aerobic and anaerobic capacities in the muscle (reviewed by Noren & Edwards 2007) and proportionally smaller muscle mass (reviewed by McLellan et al 2002) than adult conspecifics. At the same time, extreme skeletal and muscular flexibility (Etnier et al 2004) and floppy (hydrodynamically ineffective) dorsal fins and flukes (McBride & Kritzler 1951, Tavolga & Essapian 1957, Cockcroft & Ross 1990 compromise the swimming efficiency of newborns, while small body size throughout ontogeny limits swimming performance as swimming speed is proportionate to body size across cetaceans (Fish 1998). Underdeveloped physiology correlates with the reduced swim performance of calves <1 yr postpartum (Noren et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant position in mother-calf dolphin pairs: formation locomotion with hydrodynamic benefits

Noren

Edwards²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant position in mother-calf dolphin pairs: formation locomotion with hydrodynamic benefits

Noren

Edwards²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Combined, these factors undoubtedly limit sustainable muscular power production for fluke movements through the viscous, dense seawater. At the same time, extreme skeletal and muscular flexibility (Etnier et al, 2003) and floppy dorsal fins and flukes (McBride and Kritzler, 1951;Tavolga and Essapian, 1957;Cockcroft and Ross, 1990) can further compromise swimming efficiency during early development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examining marine mammal swimming requires novel experimental approaches (Williams, 2001) and studying free-ranging cetacean calves is especially difficult (Cockcroft and Ross, 1990). Dolphins in captivity provided a controlled experimental approach to study swimming kinematics, a method that has been successfully used in the past (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogeny of swim performance and mechanics in bottlenose dolphins(Tursiops truncatus)

Noren

Biedenbach²,

Edwards

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…1). En utero, the fetus is bent laterally and ventrally such that the tail flukes are juxtaposed to the throat region (Slijper, 1966;Cockcroft and Ross, 1990). Evidence of this extreme posture can be seen in the fetal folds ( Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic changes in the structural stiffness of the tailstock of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Etnier

McLellan

Blum

et al. 2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYLate-term fetal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are bent ventrolaterally en utero, requiring extreme flexibility of the axial skeleton and associated soft tissues. At birth, neonatal dolphins must immediately swim to the surface to breath, yet the dorsoventral oscillations used during locomotion may be compromised by the lateral flexibility evident in the fetus. The unique fetal position of dolphins, coupled with their need to swim at birth, places conflicting mechanical demands on the tailstock. Our previous research demonstrated that neonatal dolphins possess laterally placed, axial muscles that are functionally specialized to actively maintain the straightened posture of the tailstock. Here, we investigated the development of passive lateral stability in the tailstock of bottlenose dolphins by performing whole-body bending tests on an ontogenetic series of stranded dolphin specimens (N=15), including fetuses, neonates and juveniles (total length 58-171 cm). Structural stiffness increased, while overall body curvature decreased, with increasing body length. Scaling analyses suggest that increased structural stiffness is due to increases in size and probably changes in the passive material properties of the tailstock through ontogeny. The neutral zone was approximately constant with increasing size, while the relative neutral zone (neutral zone/total length) decreased. The lateral stability of the tailstock appears to be controlled by a combination of active and passive systems and the role of these systems varies through ontogeny. While neonates use active, muscular mechanisms to limit lateral deformations of the tailstock, the stability of the maturing tailstock is due primarily to its passive tissue properties.

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Observations on the Early Development of a Captive Bottlenose Dolphin Calf

Cited by 91 publications

References 8 publications

Infant position in mother-calf dolphin pairs: formation locomotion with hydrodynamic benefits

Infant position in mother-calf dolphin pairs: formation locomotion with hydrodynamic benefits

Ontogeny of swim performance and mechanics in bottlenose dolphins(Tursiops truncatus)

Ontogenetic changes in the structural stiffness of the tailstock of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

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