We examined bone mineral density (BMD) in the pectoral flipper of the common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. These data addressed the need to define a comprehensive target site for osteodensitometric assessment and to provide a descriptive bone density data set for this species. We analyzed 388 radii from 279 bottlenose dolphins using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), the accepted standard in human medical studies. Radii were examined for differences based on sex, age, total body length, handedness, geographical affinity, and nutritional status at death. BMD increased with age and body length (R² = 0.58, p < .05). No statistically significant differences were observed in BMD measurements for male and female dolphins (t = −1.60, p > .05) or right and left flippers (t = −1.76, p > .05). Additionally, no statistically significant differences were observed based on geographical region (t = −0.190, p > .05) or nutritional status (F = 0.83, p > .05). These results support the use of these findings as a preliminary descriptive data set for BMD in bottlenose dolphins and detail a primary skeletal site for clinical assessment of bone density for the species. As this study relies on archived museum specimens collected from dolphins at time of death, further studies regarding bone density may be better addressed using live dolphins with known health status.

中文翻译：

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普通宽吻海豚半径的骨矿物质密度：临床骨骼密度测定的主要骨骼部位和使用档案标本的初步描述性数据集

我们检查了普通宽吻海豚Tursiops truncatus的胸鳍中的骨矿物质密度（BMD）。这些数据满足了为骨密度测定评估定义一个综合目标部位并为该物种提供描述性骨密度数据集的需求。我们使用了人类医学研究中公认的标准双能量X射线吸收法（DXA）分析了279宽吻海豚的388半径。根据性别，年龄，体长，惯用性，地域亲和力和死亡时的营养状况检查半径的差异。BMD随着年龄和身长的增加而增加（R ² = 0.58，p  <.05）。在雄性和雌性海豚的BMD测量中，没有观察到统计学上的显着差异（t= −1.60，p  > .05）或左右脚蹼（t = −1.76，p  > .05）。此外，基于地理区域（t = -0.190，p  > .05）或营养状况（F = 0.83，p  > .05），未观察到统计学上的显着差异。这些结果支持将这些发现用作宽吻海豚中BMD的初步描述性数据集，并详细说明了该物种骨密度临床评估的主要骨骼部位。由于这项研究依靠的是在死亡时从海豚身上收集的博物馆标本，因此，使用已知健康状况的活海豚可以更好地解决有关骨密度的进一步研究。