Cetaceans Humerus Radiodensity by CT: A Useful Technique Differentiating between Species, Ecophysiology, and Age
Francesco Maria Achille Consoli,
Yara Bernaldo de Quirós,
Manuel Arbelo,
Stefania Fulle,
Marco Marchisio,
Mario Encinoso,
Antonio Fernandez,
Miguel A. Rivero
Affiliations
Francesco Maria Achille Consoli
Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35400 Las Palmas, Spain
Yara Bernaldo de Quirós
Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35400 Las Palmas, Spain
Manuel Arbelo
Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35400 Las Palmas, Spain
Stefania Fulle
Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Marco Marchisio
Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University G. D’Annunzio, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Mario Encinoso
Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
Antonio Fernandez
Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35400 Las Palmas, Spain
Miguel A. Rivero
Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), 35400 Las Palmas, Spain
Cetaceans are mammals that underwent a series of evolutionary adaptations to live in the aquatic environment, including morphological modifications of various anatomical structures of the skeleton and their bone mineral density (BMD); there are few studies on the latter. BMD is related to the radiodensity measured through computed tomography (CT) in Hounsfield units (HU). This work aimed to test and validate the usefulness of studying humeral bone radiodensity by CT of two cetacean species (the Atlantic spotted dolphin and the pygmy sperm whale) with different swimming and diving habits. The radiodensity was analysed at certain levels following a new protocol based on a review of previous studies. Humeral radiodensity values were related to four aspects: species, diving behaviour, swimming activity level, and age. We observed that the consistent differences in the radiodensity of the cortical bone of the distal epiphysis between animals of different life-history categories suggest that this bone portion could be particularly useful for future ontogenetic studies. Hence, this technique may be helpful in studying and comparing species with different ecophysiologies, particularly distinguishing between swimming and diving habits.
