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Comparative body composition strategies of breeding and nonbreeding female caribou
- Source :
- Canadian Journal of Zoology. 77:1901-1907
- Publication Year :
- 1999
- Publisher :
- Canadian Science Publishing, 1999.
-
Abstract
- We evaluated the effects of season and reproductive status on body fat and body protein masses of free-ranging female barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti). Body fat mass fluctuated markedly during the year (by a factor of at least 2) in both reproductive classes, but whereas maximum fatness occurred in autumn (September-November) in nonbreeding females, it did not occur until late winter (March-April) in breeding females. Seasonal changes in dry body protein mass were relatively modest, with annual maxima averaging only 31-43% higher than annual minima. Moreover, seasonal differences between the reproductive classes were not significant except in November-December. Absolute fat deposition by both breeding and nonbreeding females was highest in summer, though fat deposition increased relative to protein deposition in autumn. Between June and September, the primary deposition of body protein in breeding females contrasted with the primary deposition of body fat in nonbreeding females. As a result, breeding females were highly compromised in their fat deposition but not in their protein deposition, which approximated levels in nonlactating females. Differences in body composition between breeding and nonbreeding females were highest in autumn and lowest in early spring because of divergence in summer and convergence in winter.
- Subjects :
- Ecology
Environmental factor
Late winter
Biology
Seasonality
Annual maxima
medicine.disease
medicine.disease_cause
biology.organism_classification
Fat mass
Rangifer tarandus granti
Animal science
medicine
Animal Science and Zoology
Composition (visual arts)
Deposition (chemistry)
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14803283 and 00084301
- Volume :
- 77
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Canadian Journal of Zoology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........12e5edd87b6a621b5edccd56b5d7fa78