Table 1.
Skull BMD [g/cm2 ± SD (n)] for subadult and adult East Greenland polar bears from 1892 to 2002.
| Period | Variable | Subadult females | Subadult males | Adult females | Adult males |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892–1932 | BMD | 1.67 ± 0.37 (7) | 2.22 ± 0.19 (5) | 1.99 ± 0.13 (9) | 2.73 ± 0.21 (20) |
| Age | 2.6 ± 1.3 (7) | 4.4 ± 1.3 (5) | 12.7 ± 3.7 (9) | 11.5 ± 4.5 (20) | |
| 1966–2002 | BMD | 1.55 ± 0.3* (17) | 1.85 ± 0.32* (35) | 1.98 ± 0.13 (31) | 2.49 ± 0.24** (15) |
| Age | 2.8 ± 1 (17) | 3.2 ± 1.1 (35) | 12.1 ± 6.3 (31) | 10.7 ± 5.5 (15) |
Data are divided into two periods: 1892–1932 (supposed organochlorine and PBDE nonpolluted) and 1966–2002 (supposed organochlorine and PBDE polluted). BMD (g/cm2) was obtained by DXA scanning of the entire skull, and age (years) was obtained by counting the GLG of the lower I3 tooth.
*
p ≤0.05 and
**
p ≤0.01 significantly lower during 1966–2002 compared with the 1892–1932 period for the given age/sex group.