Calving Interval and Gestation Period — Odontoceti

Odontoceti cetaceans have long reproductive cycles and intense parental investment. This chart compares the calving interval (years) and gestation period (months) across 12 species frequently sighted off Madeira. The killer whale stands out with the longest calving interval (8 years) and gestation (17 months), while the pygmy sperm whale shows the shortest recorded reproductive investment.

Chart Data Table (confirmed values only)

References (with hyperlinked sources — found DOIs for the newly cited sources)

• Hatton, K. & Francl, K. (2008). “Pseudorca crassidens” — Animal Diversity Web
• Ferreira, I. M., Kasuya, T., Marsh, H. & Best, P. B. (2014). False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) from Japan and South Africa: Differences in growth and reproduction. Mar. Mammal Sci., 30, 64–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12021
• Dombrowski, C. (2012). “Globicephala macrorhynchus” — Animal Diversity Web
• Alves, F., Dinis, A., Ribeiro, C., Nicolau, C., Kaufmann, M., Fortuna, C. M., Freitas, L. (2013). Daytime dive characteristics from six short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus off Madeira Island. Arquipelago – Life and Marine Sciences, 31, 1–8. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/3288
• McAlpine, D. F. (2018). Pygmy and dwarf sperm whales: Kogia breviceps and K. sima. In Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-804327-1.00209-0
• Plön, S. & Baird, R. W. (2022). Dwarf Sperm Whale, Kogia sima. In Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer International Publishing. (no public DOI/URL found)
• Maio, N. et al. (2022). Life History Traits of Sperm Whales Physeter macrocephalus Stranded along Italian Coasts. Animals, 13(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010079
• Evans, K. & Hindell, M. A. (2004). The age structure and growth of female sperm whales in southern Australian waters. Journal of Zoology, 263, 237–250. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836904005096
• Olesiuk, P. F., Ellis, G. M., Ford, J. K. B. (2005). Life history and population dynamics of northern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in British Columbia. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2005/045. (no DOI — government research document)
• Baird, R. W. et al. (2006). Diving behaviour of Cuvier’s and Blainville’s beaked whales in Hawai’i. Can. J. Zool., 84, 1120–1128. https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-095
• Shearer, J. M. et al. (2019). Diving behaviour of Cuvier’s beaked whales off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. R. Soc. Open Sci., 6, 181728. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181728
• Pulis, E. et al. (2018). Movements and dive patterns of pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata) released in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic Mammals, 44(5), 555–567. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.44.5.2018.555
• Feyrer, L. J. et al. (2020). Prolonged maternal investment in northern bottlenose whales. PLoS One, 15, e0235114. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235114 (source PDF lists a truncated DOI ending in “023511” — corrected here to the full article ID)
• Whitehead, H. et al. (1996). Update COSEWIC status report on the northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon ampullatus. Ottawa. (no DOI — government status report)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2017). Management Plan for the Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Management Plan Series. Ottawa. (no DOI — government management plan)
• Armbruster, N. (2009). “Peponocephala electra” — Animal Diversity Web
• MBM (2021). Fichas de identificação de cetáceos no Arquipélago da Madeira. 66p. (no public URL — recurring, per tracker)