Table 3. Annual average skeletal apposition rates for the three alligator individuals included in this study.
An asterisk appears next to measurements in which the outermost cyclical growth mark (CGM) was omitted. MOR, Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana, USA.
| Specimen number | Element | Location | Average cumulative cortical thickness (mm) |
Average annual cortical thickness (mm) |
Average apposition rate (µm/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOR-OST 1648 | Fibula | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.37 | – |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.05 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.17 | 0.12 | 0.56 | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 1.30 | 0.13 | 0.61* | ||
| Femur | Hatchling | 0.71 | 0.71 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 2.20 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.43 | 0.23 | 1.05 | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.81 | 0.38 | 1.78 | ||
| Humerus | Hatchling | 0.57 | 0.57 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.01 | – | – | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.35 | 0.34 | 1.57 | ||
| Radius | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 0.61 | 0.25 | 1.14 | ||
| CGM 2 | 0.99 | 0.38 | 1.78 | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.14 | 0.15 | 0.68 | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 1.30 | 0.17 | 0.77 | ||
| Tibia | Hatchling | 0.55 | 0.55 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.76 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.96 | 0.20 | 0.93 | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.24 | 0.28 | 1.31 | ||
| Ulna | Hatchling | 0.36 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.12 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.31 | 0.20 | 0.91 | ||
| CGM 4 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 1.52 | 0.21 | 0.98 | ||
| MOR-OST 1649 | Fibula | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.37 | – |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.04 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.33 | 0.29 | 1.36 | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.61 | 0.28 | 1.29 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 1.86 | 0.26 | 1.19* | ||
| Femur | Hatchling | 0.71 | 0.71 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.93 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.71 | 0.79 | 3.67 | ||
| CGM 4 | 3.39 | 0.68 | 3.18 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 3.89 | 0.50 | 2.34* | ||
| Humerus | Hatchling | 0.57 | 0.57 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.53 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.14 | 0.61 | 2.85 | ||
| CGM 4 | 2.70 | 0.56 | 2.62 | ||
| CGM 5 | 3.14 | – | – | ||
| Surface | 3.20 | 0.50 | 2.36* | ||
| Radius | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 0.96 | 0.59 | 2.76 | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.26 | 0.30 | 1.40 | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.52 | 0.26 | 1.21 | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.78 | 0.26 | 1.21 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 1.84 | 0.06 | 0.30 | ||
| Tibia | Hatchling | 0.55 | 0.55 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.63 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.22 | 0.59 | 2.76 | ||
| CGM 4 | 2.70 | 0.48 | 2.24 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 3.15 | 0.45 | 2.10* | ||
| Ulna | Hatchling | 0.36 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.43 | – | – | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.76 | 0.34 | 1.57 | ||
| CGM 5 | 2.05 | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.14 | 0.38 | 1.78* | ||
| MOR-OST 1650 | Fibula | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.37 | – |
| CGM 1 | 1.04 | 0.66 | 3.10 | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.29 | 0.26 | 1.19 | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.60 | 0.31 | 1.46 | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.73 | 0.13 | 0.60 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.17 | 0.44 | 2.04 | ||
| Femur | Hatchling | 0.71 | 0.71 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 2.16 | 1.46 | 6.80 | ||
| CGM 2 | 2.57 | 0.41 | 1.93 | ||
| CGM 3 | 3.11 | 0.53 | 2.49 | ||
| CGM 4 | 3.39 | 0.28 | 1.31 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 4.16 | 0.78 | 3.63 | ||
| Humerus | Hatchling | 0.57 | 0.57 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 1.46 | 0.89 | 4.16 | ||
| CGM 2 | 2.02 | 0.56 | 2.59 | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.61 | 0.59 | 2.76 | ||
| CGM 4 | 2.83 | 0.23 | 1.05 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 3.65 | 0.82 | 3.83 | ||
| Radius | Hatchling | 0.37 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 1.04 | 0.67 | 3.14 | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.25 | 0.21 | 0.97 | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.52 | 0.28 | 1.30 | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.66 | 0.14 | 0.65 | ||
| CGM 5 | 2.04 | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.09 | 0.42 | 1.97* | ||
| Tibia | Hatchling | 0.55 | 0.55 | – | |
| CGM 1 | 1.50 | 0.95 | 4.44 | ||
| CGM 2 | 2.06 | 0.56 | 2.59 | ||
| CGM 3 | 2.64 | 0.58 | 2.71 | ||
| CGM 4 | 2.85 | 0.21 | 0.98 | ||
| CGM 5 | – | – | – | ||
| Surface | 3.57 | 0.72 | 3.36 | ||
| Ulna | Hatchling | 0.36 | 0.36 | – | |
| CGM 1 | – | – | – | ||
| CGM 2 | 1.35 | – | – | ||
| CGM 3 | 1.74 | 0.39 | 1.81 | ||
| CGM 4 | 1.87 | 0.13 | 0.58 | ||
| CGM 5 | 2.45 | – | – | ||
| Surface | 2.50 | 0.63 | 2.96* |