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CHANGES IN HEART RATE VARIABILITY DURING DIVING IN YOUNG HARBOR SEALS, PHOCA VITULINA
Author(s) -
Greaves Danielle K.,
Hughson Richard L.,
Topor Zbigniew,
Schreer Jason F.,
Burns Jennifer M.,
Hammill Michael O.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
marine mammal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.723
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1748-7692
pISSN - 0824-0469
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01197.x
Subject(s) - phoca , bradycardia , harbor seal , heart rate , heart rate variability , biology , zoology , endocrinology , blood pressure
A bstract We studied changes in the patterns of heart rate variability (HRV) that coincide with the development of diving skills in harbor seal pups, Phoca vitulina . Heart rate measurements were collected remotely. Spectral analysis of HRV revealed power within a mid‐frequency band (0.1–0.3 Hz) which was prominent, especially in pups less than 10 d of age. In these younger pups, the heart rate switched cyclically between a low and a high diving heart rate every 3–10 sec. Older pups exhibited a highly controlled diving bradycardia with a lower median and a lower variance when compared to younger individuals. These results provide new insight into the maturation of the bradycardia component of the dive response in harbor seal pups.