QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ponganis, P. J. Articles by Kooyman, G. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ponganis, P. J. Articles by Kooyman, G. L. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 202, Issue 7 781-786, Copyright © 1999 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Development of diving capacity in emperor penguins

PJ Ponganis, LN Starke, M Horning and GL Kooyman
Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0204, USA.

To compare the diving capacities of juvenile and adult emperor penguins Aptenodytes forsteri, and to determine the physiological variables underlying the diving ability of juveniles, we monitored diving activity in juvenile penguins fitted with satellite-linked time/depth recorders and examined developmental changes in body mass (Mb), hemoglobin concentration, myoglobin (Mb) content and muscle citrate synthase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. Diving depth, diving duration and time-at-depth histograms were obtained from two fledged juveniles during the first 2.5 months after their depature from the Cape Washingon colony in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. During this period, values of all three diving variables increased progressively. After 8-10 weeks at sea, 24-41 % of transmitted maximum diving depths were between 80 and 200 m. Although most dives lasted less than 2 min during the 2 month period, 8-25 % of transmitted dives in the last 2 weeks lasted 2-4 min. These values are lower than those previously recorded in adults during foraging trips. Of the physiological variables examined during chick and juvenile development, only Mb and Mb content did not approach adult values. In both near-fledge chicks and juveniles, Mb was 50-60 % of adult values and Mb content was 24-31 % of adult values. This suggests that the increase in diving capacity of juveniles at sea will be most dependent on changes in these factors.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. J. Weise and D. P. Costa Total body oxygen stores and physiological diving capacity of California sea lions as a function of sex and age J. Exp. Biol., January 15, 2007; 210(2): 278 - 289. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Green, I. L. Boyd, A. J. Woakes, C. J. Green, and P. J. Butler Do seasonal changes in metabolic rate facilitate changes in diving behaviour? J. Exp. Biol., July 1, 2005; 208(13): 2581 - 2593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. MacArthur, G. L. Weseen, and K. L. Campbell Diving experience and the aerobic dive capacity of muskrats: does training produce a better diver? J. Exp. Biol., April 1, 2003; 206(7): 1153 - 1161. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Jorgensen, C. Lydersen, O. Brix, and K. M. Kovacs Diving development in nursing harbour seal pups J. Exp. Biol., March 13, 2002; 204(22): 3993 - 4004. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. W. McIntyre, K. L. Campbell, and R. A. MacArthur Body oxygen stores, aerobic dive limits and diving behaviour of the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) and comparisons with non-aquatic talpids J. Exp. Biol., January 1, 2002; 205(1): 45 - 54. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. J. Butler Diving Beyond the Limits Physiology, October 1, 2001; 16(5): 222 - 227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]