SKELETAL INTEGRITY IN MOOSE AT ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK: BONE MINERAL DENSITY AND OSTEOPATHOLOGY RELATED TO SENESCENCE

Authors

  • Mary Hindelang
  • Rolf O. Peterson

Abstract

We analyzed the relationships between skeletal condition and senescence using bones of moose (Alces alces) collected at Isle Royale National Park between 1958-1995. We found a significant decline in bone mineral density (BMD) in the cancellous bone of the metatarsus in male and female moose with age, and a significant relationship between low BMD in the long bones and osteoporotic skull lesions, indicating a pervasive loss of bone mass. Furthermore, we found an increase in the prevalence of osteoarthritis, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis after 7 years of age when decline in age-specific survival accelerates. Males experience and earlier decline in survival and an earlier increase in osteopathologies. From an evolutionary perspective, bone status at the time of death may be a consequence of behavioral and physiological strategies that maximize fitness during the prime reproductive years.

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Published

2000-01-01

How to Cite

Hindelang, M., & Peterson, R. O. (2000). SKELETAL INTEGRITY IN MOOSE AT ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK: BONE MINERAL DENSITY AND OSTEOPATHOLOGY RELATED TO SENESCENCE. Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose, 36, 61–68. Retrieved from https://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/625