Scaling and wavelet-based analyses of the long-term heart rate variability of the Eastern Oyster

Abstract

Characterisations of the long-term behaviour of heart rate variability in humans have emerged in the last few years as promising candidates to become clinically significant tools. We present two different statistical analyses of long-time recordings of the heart rate variation in the Eastern Oyster. The circulatory system of this marine mollusk has important anatomical and physiological dissimilitudes compared to that of humans and it is exposed to dramatically different environmental influences. Our results resemble those previously obtained in humans. This suggests that in spite of the discrepancies, the mechanisms of long-term cardiac control on both systems share a common underlying dynamic.