Jagar, I.: Sexual maturity in female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Adriatic Sea. Diploma Thesis. Faculty of Science. Zagreb, 2009

Abstract

Sexual maturity was determined in 30 female bottlenose dolphins from the Adriatic Sea. A female was declared sexually mature if at least one scar (corpus albicans) on the ovaries was macroscopically observed. Our study shows that female bottlenose dolphins from the Adriatic Sea reach sexual maturity in the age of 7 years and at the minimum total body length of 246 cm. We confirmed the statement that the left ovary is more active then the right ovary in the bottlenose dolphin. The bottlenose dolphin left ovary is significantly bigger (p=0,0004) and has more scars (p=0,0012). Female bottlenose dolphins from the Adriatic Sea reach sexual maturity earlier than females from other bottlenose dolphin populations.