A linear regression fitted to the data for mature females from Japan for ages 10–44.5 yr produces the following relationship With ovulations ceasing at age 47–48 but females living to age 62.5–63.5 yr, a significant postreproductive phase seems a distinct possibility (Ferreira 2008). The Japanese false killer whales were more likely to be pregnant than those

from South Africa, if our samples were representative of the pregnancy rates of the populations. Ignoring any age-related effects, the apparent pregnancy rate (proportion buy U0126 of pregnant females in sexually mature females sampled) was 14.9% (10/67) for the Japanese schools and 2.7% (1/37) for the South African sample. Assuming a gestation period of 15 mo (Kasuya 1986), these results correspond to Belnacasan nmr annual pregnancy rates (probability of a female conceiving in a given year) of 11.9% in Japanese whales and 2.2% in South African whales. Use of a gestation length of 14 mo, as proposed from captive studies (O’Brien and Robeck 2010), produced correspondingly higher annual pregnancy rates but the interpopulation differences remained. Mammary gland thickness averaged 1.9 cm in immature South African females (range 1.3–3.0 cm,

n = 3), and 2.5 cm in mature females (range 0.9–4.2 cm, n = 35). This difference was not statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U-test: df = 36, P = 0.203), possibly as a consequence of small sample size, although mammary gland involution may be greater than normal in older females if the length of the resting period is prolonged. Mammary gland thickness in lactating females averaged 3.1 cm (range 2.0–4.0 cm, n = 10), compared to a mean thickness of 2.2 cm (range 0.9–4.2 cm, n = 22) in mature, nonlactating females. Despite the overlap in range, this difference was statistically different (Mann-Whitney

U-test: df = 30, P = 0.0067). The presence of milk in females with histologically active mammary tissue was not always detected in the field, possibly because they were approaching the end of galactopoiesis. Four females showed discrepancies in the secretory activities of different areas in their mammary tissue, with some alveoli appearing to be active and others 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 inactive: their mammary gland thickness averaged 2.8 cm (range 2.0–3.6 cm). Whether these represented genuine variations in functional state, terminal stages of lactation, poor histology or postmortem changes to the tissue, is unclear. The uterine cornua were generally bilaterally symmetrical in nonpregnant females. No statistically significant differences between the width of left and right uterine horns were detected in 4 immature or 28 mature females (Wilcoxon paired t-test: P = 1.000 and P = 0.4196, respectively). Mean cornua width was used in the following analyses. The width of the uterine cornua increased significantly with body length, sexual maturation and some reproductive states.