A preliminary method for estimating the age of brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) embryos |
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| Authors: | EA Prier BD Gartrell MA Potter S Bassett |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealandeaprier@gmail.com;3. Wildbase, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand;4. Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand;5. Oralis Limited, Karori, Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Abstract: | Morphological features of a collection of unknown-age wild kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) embryos from early development to point of hatch are described. Using these features, we assign developmental stages to each embryo and compare the progress of development to similar-staged ostrich (Struthio camelus) and chicken (Gallus gallus) embryos. Two ageing schemes for the kiwi embryos are developed by comparing measurements of their hindlimb segments, bills and crown–rump lengths with those of ostrich and chicken embryos at various stages of development. One of the 20 kiwi embryos was of known age. Both the ostrich model and the chicken model gave identical predictions for the marker and four other embryos. Developmental timing of some features differed between all three species, most markedly in the bill, with growth in the kiwi bill being relatively faster to achieve its larger relative and absolute size at hatch. |
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| Keywords: | embryonic development ratite precocial bird hindlimb age estimation |
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