The ontogeny of diving in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

摘要: The ability to prolong breath-hold is the hallmark of physiological adaptations for diving in marine mammals. Large body size, enhanced oxygen stores, and the physiological dive response enable adult pinnipeds and cetaceans to support prolonged aerobic dive durations. Rather than an inherent feature, pinniped pups require a period of postpartum development to attain these characteristics. Unlike pinnipeds, cetaceans are born directly into the ocean and must breath-hold during swimming and diving immediately after birth. Yet little is known about the postpartum development of the physiological mechanisms necessary to sustain diving in cetaceans. To assess these changes during development in cetaceans, I examined the oxygen carrying capacity of the two primary oxygen stores (muscle and blood) and alterations in cardiac control during diving in immature and mature bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops …