Mass-transfer efficiency between hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) mothers and their pups in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 1315-1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Kovacs ◽  
D. M. Lavigne

We investigated the efficiency of mass transfer in hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) through serial mass measurements on mother – pup pairs during lactation. Data on birth mass, weaning mass, pup growth, lactation duration, mass loss during the postweaning fast, and adult female mass were collected during the breeding seasons of 1988 – 1991. Pups weighed 24.4 ± 2.6 kg (mean ± SD, N = 19) at birth; males (25.3 ± 2.3 kg, N = 7) did not differ statistically from females (24.0 ± 2.7 kg, N = 12). During the nursing period pups grew at a rate of 6.9 ± 1.2 kg (N = 28) per day. Weaning took place at 3.8 ± 0.5 days of age (N = 19). Mass at weaning was not related to mass at birth. Pups were weaned at 47.1 ± 6.7 kg (N = 25). The mean value for weaning mass of males (47.6 ± 7.1 kg, N = 10) was not significantly different from that of females (46.7 ± 6.8 kg, N = 15). Ten percent of weaned pups stole milk from females after their own mothers had departed. Weaners, which consistently lost mass, did so at a rate of 1.3 ± 0.8 kg per day during the early part of the postweaning fast. At parturition, mean maternal body mass was 236.5 ± 35.5 kg (range 172 – 306 kg, N = 19). Mean maternal mass loss per day was 10.1 ± 2.6 kg. Efficiency of mass transfer from females to their pups was 63.2 ± 12.8% (N = 26).

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Bowen ◽  
D. J. Boness ◽  
O. T. Oftedal

We studied the components of mass transfer from mother to pup during the lactation period and weight loss by fasting pups postweaning in the hooded seal, Cystophora cristata. Measurements were taken from 33 mother–pup pairs and 69 weaned pups. Mean body weight of mothers declined from an average of 179 kg at the beginning of lactation to 150 kg for mothers nursing fat pups near the end of lactation. Over 80% of this weight loss was from the sculp (i.e., skin and blubber). Pup weight doubled during the 4 days of lactation, with about 70% of this weight gain in the form of blubber. Fasting pups lost 29% or 13 kg of their body weight between weaning and mid to late April when feeding begins. Sculp and core weight accounted for 51% and 49%, respectively, of total weight loss during this fasting period. Hooded seal mothers invest a smaller portion of their stored fat (33%) in their pup than do grey seals (85%) and northern elephant seals (58%). Our hooded seal data are consistent with the hypothesis that the abbreviation of lactation allows a reduction in overhead costs and more efficient transfer of nutrients from mother to pup.


1973 ◽  
pp. 173-175
Author(s):  
T. C. Hsu ◽  
Kurt Benirschke

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Chunhai Xu ◽  
Zhongqin Li ◽  
Feiteng Wang ◽  
Jianxin Mu ◽  
Xin Zhang

The eastern Tien Shan hosts substantial mid-latitude glaciers, but in situ glacier mass balance records are extremely sparse. Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 (eastern Tien Shan, China) is one of the very few well-measured glaciers, and comprehensive glaciological measurements were implemented from 1999 to 2011 and re-established in 2017. Mass balance of Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 (1999–2015) has recently been reported, but the mass balance record has not extended to the period before 1999. Here, we used a 1:50,000-scale topographic map and long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data to calculate the area, volume, and mass changes for Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 from 1964 to 2018. Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 lost 0.34 km2 (at a rate of 0.006 km2 a−1 or 0.42% a−1) of its area during the period 1964–2018. The glacier experienced clearly negative surface elevation changes and geodetic mass balance. Thinning occurred almost across the entire glacier surface, with a mean value of −0.43 ± 0.12 m a−1. The calculated average geodetic mass balance was −0.36 ± 0.12 m w.e. a−1. Without considering the error bounds of mass balance estimates, glacier mass loss over the past 50 years was in line with the observed and modeled mass balance (−0.37 ± 0.22 m w.e. a−1) that was published for short time intervals since 1999 but was slightly less negative than glacier mass loss in the entire eastern Tien Shan. Our results indicate that Riegl VZ®-6000 TLS can be widely used for mass balance measurements of unmonitored individual glaciers.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Haug ◽  
Kjell T Nilssen ◽  
Lotta Lindblom

Data were collected from harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) pups belonging to the Greenland Sea (or "West Ice") stocks in 1995-1997. Pups of both species were observed to feed independently shortly after weaning, and their first food was almost exclusively crustaceans. Parathemisto sp., particularly P. libellula, dominated the diet of both the harp and the hooded seal pups, but the diet also contained sympagic amphipods of the genus Gammarus. Krill (Thysanoessa sp.) was of minor importance as food for seal pups in 1995, but occurred more frequentlyin the diet of both species in 1996 and 1997. Considerable niche overlap may suggest some interspecific competition between harp and hooded seal pups in the West Ice.


Author(s):  
G. Giuricin ◽  
F. Mardirossian ◽  
M. Mezzetti
Keyword(s):  

1987 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
pp. 675-679
Author(s):  
V.G. Karetnikov

AbstractFrom the values of period changes for 6 close binary stars the mass transfer rate was calculated. Comparing these values Mt with the values of shell masses Msh, the expressionwas derived. The analysis of this expression points out the initial character of the outflow of matter, and one may determine the time interval of the substitution of the shell matter. So one may conclude that for a certain mass transfer rate, a certain amount of matter accumulates in the nearby regions of the system.


1977 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 365-370
Author(s):  
Józef Smak

The mass loss from cataclysmic binaries seems an important and worth studying phenomenon for a number of reasons. It is probably enough to mention only two of them:(a) Whenever we can directly observe the ejected material, determine its amount and the rate of mass loss, as well as its chemical composition (this being the case of the expanding envelopes of novae), we are getting a good insight into the basic physical mechanisms responsible for the observed phenomena.(b) The mass loss (together with the mass transfer) and the loss of the orbital angular momentum are related directly to the dynamical evolution of a binary system and - indirectly - to the evolution of its components.


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