Age and Parturition Periods of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins Around Mikura Island

Long-term individual identification surveys conducted since 1994 provide age information and estimated parturition periods for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) around Mikura Island, Japan. The dataset, compiled by author Genfu Yagi, includes actual birth years from tracking and estimated ages from speckle pattern and epigenetic clock analyses. Estimated parturition periods were inferred from intervals between a mother's last solitary observation and first observation with a calf.

Use Cases

• Analyze age structure and longevity in a wild dolphin population based on long-term tracking data.
• Model reproductive timing and intervals based on estimated parturition periods.
• Validate or compare age estimation techniques (speckle pattern analysis, epigenetic clock) mentioned in the description.
• Study mother-calf association patterns and weaning periods inferred from observation intervals.

Strengths

• Long-term data collection spanning from 1994 to at least 2024, providing a multi-decade perspective.
• Age data derived from multiple methods: long-term tracking, speckle pattern analysis, and epigenetic clock analysis.
• Dataset is openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0, facilitating reuse.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain statistical analyses.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download from the two provided CSV files.
• Data is limited to a single geographic location (Mikura Island, Japan), which may affect generalizability.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Compiled from long-term underwater individual identification surveys.

Time Range

Surveys conducted since 1994.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-25 02:23:15.

Geography

Mikura Island, Japan.