1. Bottlenose dolphin radius and flipper bones
Assessing the correlation between osteological measurements of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) radii and body morphometrics
Jennifer Wourms
Abstract
Results & Analysis
For years, the only known way to measure dolphin bone mineral density (BMD) has been to measure the density of a detached flipper in a lab setting. Through my internship with PSU I worked to make BMD scanning a more viable option in field work by determining whether there was a correlation between bottlenose radii length/width and total flipper length/width.
All comparisons performed resulted in significant positive correlations, each having an R2 value greater than 0.5. However, because the cranial/radius comparison had a higher significance than the caudal/radius, it would be more accurate for field researchers to measure the cranial length when attempting to quickly locate the area on a bottlenose dolphin flipper for BMD analysis.
Materials and Methods
In order to record the osteological measurements of the dolphin radii, I measured the length and width of each of the 243 dolphin radii by using a Carrera Precision CP8806­T 6 inch digital caliper. I repeated each measurement four times and recorded the average to be sure the lengths/widths I was recording were accurate. My standard deviation for length was mm and width was mm. I was then provided with the flipper measurements from PSU and the Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research. I then correlated the data in the following graphs. I was also given the opportunity to participate in three porpoise necropsies to understand how the flipper measurements are performed.
Bottlenose dolphin radius and flipper bones
Conclusion
The main goal of my internship was to determine if there was a significant correlation between distinctive dolphin flipper measurements. My correlations reveal the necessary measurements to perform when locating the area on bottlenose dolphin flippers necessary for BMD analysis. This will make BMD scanning a faster and non-invasive process in the field.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my mentor James Powell at PSU for his time and ability to supply me with such an unique internship experience.
Porpoise Necropsies