A preliminary method for estimating the age of brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) embryos

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)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNew Zealand journal of zoology Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 58 - 67
Main Authors Prier, EA, Gartrell, BD, Potter, MA, Bassett, S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.01.2014
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Age
age estimation
embryonic development
Embryos
hindlimb
precocial bird
ratite
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0301-4223
1175-8821
DOI:10.1080/03014223.2013.841719