title: Relations among measures of body composition, age, and sex in the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus).
abstract: Few studies of body composition have been done in New World primates. In the study reported here, four methods of assessing body composition (body weight, anthropometry, labeled-water dilution, and total body electroconductivity) were compared in 20 marmosets, aged 0.96 to 7.97 years. Males and females did not differ in any measure (P > 0.05). Body weight ranged from 272 to 466 g, and body fat estimates varied from 1.6 to 19.5%. Strong positive correlations were observed between total body water and total body electroconductivity (R2 = 0.77), body weight and fat-free mass (males R2 = 0.95; females R2 = 0.91), and body weight and fat mass (males R2 = 0.86; females R2 = 0.85; P < 0.01). Male and female slopes were equivalent (P > 0.05) for the regressions of fat and fat-free mass against body weight. Positive correlations also were observed between girth measures and fat-free mass (R2 = 0.48 to 0.78) and fat mass (R2 = 0.60 to 0.74; P < 0.01). A good second- order polynomial relationship was observed between age and fat-free mass for the combined sample (R2 = 0.64). Results indicated that: subjects were lean; there was no sexual dimorphism relative to measures; body weight provided a reliable estimate of fat and fat-free mass; and within-subject body weight changes reflected a similar relationship between body weight and fat-free mass as did that across subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0144, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Layne
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Jaquish
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Oftedal
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Tardif
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition; D001834:Body Water / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight; D002144:Callithrix / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics