Seasonal Variation in Mandible Marrow Fat in Moose

Abstract

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Implications of body condition on the unsustainable predation rates of endangered mountain caribou

“…Our results, however, did not reveal patterns suggesting compromised body condition. Sex was the only a priori factor that predicted marrow fat, and it was due to rutting males, a result that is consistent with other studies (Skoog 1968;Cederlund et al 1989;Mech et al 1995). Our limited samples from males suggest that their bone marrow fat content recovered over late winter, spring, and through the summer.…”

“…First, we expect adult males that died during or shortly after the rut would have low bone marrow fat content (Skoog 1968;Cederlund et al 1989;Mech et al 1995). Second, we expect young and very old animals to have lower bone marrow fat levels than primeaged animals (Parker 1981;Kojola et al 1998).…”

“…The commonly accepted belief that during periods of food shortage animals first deplete subcutaneous fat, followed by visceral fat, and finally, when all other fat deposits are exhausted, bone marrow deposits are mobilized is an oversimplification (Parker 2003). Subcutaneous reserves are not exhausted before marrow deposits are mobilized (Cederlund et al 1989;Parker 2003). In caribou, the relationship between marrow fat and body fat is linear below about 9% body fat, but poorly related at higher body fat levels that reach a maximum of 17% in non-reproductive caribou in September (Allaye Chan-McLeod et al 1995.…”

Fat Content in Leg Bones ofBison bison, and Applications to Archaeology

“…Marrow is known to be the last fat to be catabolized as an energy store during stress (Harris, 1945;Dauphiné, 1976;Franzmann, 1985;Cederlund et al, 1989), and I suspect that bone grease is mobilized subsequent to marrow. Only critically sick or severely starved animals will have reduced bone fat.…”

“…Fat tissue has been extensively studied for both wildlife (Bear, 1971;Pond, 1978;Finger, Brisbin & Smith, 1981;Johns, Smith & Chesser, 1984;Adamczewski et al, 1987a;Cothran et al, 1987;DeLiberto et al, 1989;Anderson, 1990) and in domestic animals (Emery, 1969;Link et al, 1970;Berg, Anderson & Liboriussen, 1978b;Kempster, 1981;Ferrell, 1988). Attributes of bone marrow have been studied for a wide range of game animals (Ranson, 1965;Ratcliffe, 1980;Reich, 1981;Suttie, 1983;Davis, Valkenburg & Reed, 1987;Marquez & Coblentz, 1987;Cederlund, Bergström & Danell, 1989).…”