1
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Merchant HN, Thirkell JE, Portugal SJ. No evidence for a signal in mammalian basal metabolic rate associated with a fossorial lifestyle. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11297. [PMID: 38760353 PMCID: PMC11101413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61595-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
A vast array of challenging environments are inhabited by mammals, such as living in confined spaces where oxygen levels are likely to be low. Species can exhibit adaptations in basal metabolic rate (BMR) to exploit such unique niches. In this study we use 801 species to determine the relationship between BMR and burrow use in mammals. We included pre-existing data for mammalian BMR and 16 life history traits. Overall, mammalian BMR is dictated primarily by environmental ambient temperature. There were no significant differences in BMR of terrestrial, semi-fossorial and fossorial mammals, suggesting that species occupying a subterranean niche do not exhibit baseline metabolic costs on account of their burrowing lifestyle. Fossorial mammals likely show instantaneous metabolic responses to low oxygen in tunnels, rather than exhibit adaptive long-term responses in their BMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana N Merchant
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK.
| | - Jack E Thirkell
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Steven J Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OX1 3SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
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2
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Levesque DL, Breit AM, Brown E, Nowack J, Welman S. Non-Torpid Heterothermy in Mammals: Another Category along the Homeothermy-Hibernation Continuum. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1039-1048. [PMID: 37407285 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Variability in body temperature is now recognized to be widespread among whole-body endotherms with homeothermy being the exception rather than the norm. A wide range of body temperature patterns exists in extant endotherms, spanning from strict homeothermy, to occasional use of torpor, to deep seasonal hibernation with many points in between. What is often lost in discussions of heterothermy in endotherms are the benefits of variations in body temperature outside of torpor. Endotherms that do not use torpor can still obtain extensive energy and water savings from varying levels of flexibility in normothermic body temperature regulation. Flexibility at higher temperatures (heat storage or facultative hyperthermia) can provide significant water savings, while decreases at cooler temperatures, even outside of torpor, can lower the energetic costs of thermoregulation during rest. We discuss the varying uses of the terms heterothermy, thermolability, and torpor to describe differences in the amplitude of body temperature cycles and advocate for a broader use of the term "heterothermy" to include non-torpid variations in body temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana M Breit
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 04469 Orono, ME, USA
| | - Eric Brown
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 04469 Orono, ME, USA
| | - Julia Nowack
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, L3 3AF Liverpool, UK
| | - Shaun Welman
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
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3
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Zhang R, Yang Y, Deji Y, Li H, Li Y, Nima C, Zhao S, Gong H. Factors influencing the spatial distribution and individual variation in urinary fluoride levels in Tibet, China. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 326:138493. [PMID: 36966932 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, fluorosis is the most prevalent endemic disease in Tibet and one of the most concerned public health problems in China; urinary fluoride is a common diagnostic indicator of endemic fluorosis. However, the spatial distribution and influencing factors of urinary fluoride content in Tibet remain unclear. This study aims to bridge this gap by geographically weighted regression (GWR), analyses of variance (ANOVAs), Geodetector, and stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR). To achieve this goal, this study first investigated fluoride levels in the fasting urine among 637 Tibetan residents from 73 counties in Tibet, the urinary fluoride level was chosen as an indicator of fluorosis, which can reflect the health impairment. Then we identified the potential factors that could influence the spatial distribution and individual variation of urinary fluoride levels from physical environmental and socioeconomic perspective, respectively. The results showed that urinary fluoride levels in Tibet were slightly exceeding the average value for adult urinary fluoride in China, and that residents with high urinary fluoride were mainly found in the west and east; those with low urinary fluoride were mainly found in the central-southern regions. And the urinary fluoride levels had a significantly positive correlation with water fluoride and a significantly negative correlation with average annual temperature. Urinary fluoride levels increased until age 60 and followed an inverted "U"-shaped trajectory according to annual household income (80,000 renminbi (RMB) was the inflection point); pastoralists had greater exposure to fluoride than farmers. Furthermore, the Geodetector and MLR showed that the urinary fluoride level was influenced by both physical environmental and socioeconomic factors. The socioeconomic factors such as age, annual household income and occupation had a greater impact than the physical environment on urinary fluoride concentration. These findings can provide scientific basis for preventing and controlling endemic fluorosis in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yangzong Deji
- Tibet Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Lhasa, 850030, China
| | - Hairong Li
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yonghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Cangjue Nima
- Tibet Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Lhasa, 850030, China
| | - Shengcheng Zhao
- Tibet Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Lhasa, 850030, China
| | - Hongqiang Gong
- Tibet Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Lhasa, 850030, China
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4
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City comfort: weaker metabolic response to changes in ambient temperature in urban red squirrels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1393. [PMID: 36697502 PMCID: PMC9876937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28624-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecophysiological responses of species to urbanisation reveal important information regarding the processes of successful urban colonization and biodiversity patterns in urban landscapes. Investigating these responses will also help uncover whether synurban species are indeed urban 'winners'. Yet we still lack basic knowledge about the physiological costs and overall energy budgets of most species living in urban habitats, especially for mammals. Within this context, we compared the energetic demands of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the core of an urban environment with those from a nearby forest. We measured oxygen consumption as a proxy for resting metabolic rate (RMR) of 20 wild individuals (13 urban, 7 forest), at naturally varying ambient temperature (Ta) in an outdoor-enclosure experiment. We found that the variation in RMR was best explained by the interaction between Ta and habitat, with a significant difference between populations. Urban squirrels showed a shallower response of metabolic rate to decreasing Ta than woodland squirrels. We suggest that this is likely a consequence of urban heat island effects, as well as widespread supplemental food abundance. Our results indicate energy savings for urban squirrels at cooler temperatures, yet with possible increased costs at higher temperatures compared to their woodland conspecifics. Thus, the changed patterns of metabolic regulation in urban individuals might not necessarily represent an overall advantage for urban squirrels, especially in view of increasing temperatures globally.
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5
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Reher S, Rabarison H, Nowack J, Dausmann KH. Limited Physiological Compensation in Response to an Acute Microclimate Change in a Malagasy Bat. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.779381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid environmental changes are challenging for endothermic species because they have direct and immediate impacts on their physiology by affecting microclimate and fundamental resource availability. Physiological flexibility can compensate for certain ecological perturbations, but our basic understanding of how species function in a given habitat and the extent of their adaptive scope is limited. Here we studied the effect of acute, experimental microclimate change on the thermal physiology of two populations of the widespread Malagasy bat, Macronycteris commersoni. Populations of this species are found roosting under contrasting conditions, i.e., in a constant hot and humid cave or below foliage unprotected from fluctuations in ambient conditions. We exposed free-ranging individuals of each population to the respective opposite condition and thus to novel microclimate within an ecologically realistic scope while measuring metabolic rate and skin temperature. Cave bats in forest setting had a limited capacity to maintain euthermia to the point that two individuals became hypothermic when ambient temperature dropped below their commonly experienced cave temperature. Forest bats on the other hand, had difficulties to dissipate heat in the humid cave set-up. The response to heat, however, was surprisingly uniform and all bats entered torpor combined with hyperthermia at temperatures exceeding their thermoneutral zone. Thus, while we observed potential for flexible compensation of heat through “hot” torpor, both populations showed patterns suggestive of limited potential to cope with acute microclimate changes deviating from their typically occupied roosts. Our study emphasizes that intraspecific variation among populations could be misleading when assessing species’ adaptive scopes, as variation may arise from genetic adaptation, developmental plasticity or phenotypic flexibility, all of which allow for compensatory responses at differing time scales. Disentangling these mechanisms and identifying the basis of variation is vital to make accurate predictions of species’ chances for persisting in ever rapidly changing habitats and climates.
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6
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Genoud M. The seasonal variation of basal metabolic rate is related to the expression of torpor among small mammals. J Therm Biol 2022; 104:103197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Reher S, Rabarison H, Montero BK, Turner JM, Dausmann KH. Disparate roost sites drive intraspecific physiological variation in a Malagasy bat. Oecologia 2021; 198:35-52. [PMID: 34951669 PMCID: PMC8803705 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05088-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Many species are widely distributed and individual populations can experience vastly different environmental conditions over seasonal and geographic scales. With such a broad ecological reality, datasets with limited spatial and temporal resolution may not accurately represent a species and could lead to poorly informed management decisions. Because physiological flexibility can help species tolerate environmental variation, we studied the physiological responses of two separate populations of Macronycteris commersoni, a bat widespread across Madagascar, in contrasting seasons. The populations roost under the following dissimilar conditions: either a hot, well-buffered cave or within open foliage, unprotected from the local weather. We found that flexible torpor patterns, used in response to prevailing ambient temperature and relative humidity, were central to keeping energy budgets balanced in both populations. While bats’ metabolic rate during torpor and rest did not differ between roosts, adjusting torpor frequency, duration and timing helped bats maintain body condition. Interestingly, the exposed forest roost induced extensive use of torpor, which exceeded the torpor frequency of overwintering bats that stayed in the cave for months and consequently minimised daytime resting energy expenditure in the forest. Our current understanding of intraspecific physiological variation is limited and physiological traits are often considered to be fixed. The results of our study therefore highlight the need for examining species at broad environmental scales to avoid underestimating a species’ full capacity for withstanding environmental variation, especially in the face of ongoing, disruptive human interference in natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Reher
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Hajatiana Rabarison
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - B Karina Montero
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Campus of Mieres, Universidad de Oviedo, Mieres, Spain.,Animal Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - James M Turner
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK
| | - Kathrin H Dausmann
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Hilário RR, Silvestre SM, Abreu F, Beltrão-Mendes R, de Castro CSS, Chagas RRD, De la Fuente MF, Duarte MHL, Ferrari SF, Passamani M, Schiel N, Souto A, Young RJ, Souza-Alves JP. Temperature and exudativory as drivers of the marmoset (Callithrix spp.) daily activity period. Am J Primatol 2021; 84:e23341. [PMID: 34662461 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Primates are affected by fluctuations in ambient temperatures, mostly through thermoregulatory costs and changes in the availability of food. In the present study, we investigate whether the ambient temperature and proxies of food availability affect the activity period of marmosets (Callithrix spp.). We predicted that: (i) at colder sites, marmosets would spend more time at sleeping sites; (ii) midday resting bouts would be longer at hotter sites; (iii) the onset/cessation of activity and resting behavior at midday would be more closely related to temperature than food availability, and (iv) highly exudativorous groups would have higher total levels of resting. We compiled data on the onset and cessation of activity and the time spent resting at midday from seven marmoset studies from sites with a wide range of temperatures. We used generalized linear mixed models to verify the relationship between the dependent variables (lag between dawn and the onset of activities, lag between cessation of activities and dusk, and proportion of resting during midday) and the minimum and maximum temperatures at the respective study sites, together with proxies of food availability (exudativory rates, the amount of habitat available per individual, and net primary productivity) using each sample month as a sampling unit and the identity of the study as a categorical random factor. At colder sites and during colder months, the marmosets left sleeping trees later in the morning and ceased their activities earlier, while at hotter sites and during hotter months, they spent more time resting during midday. More exudativorous groups become active later in the morning, but also ceased their activities later. The abundance of food did not affect the timing of activities. We provide evidence that both low and high temperatures affect marmosets' activities, and that their activity period appears to be more influenced by the thermal environment than food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato R Hilário
- Departamento de Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Saulo M Silvestre
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Filipa Abreu
- Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Raone Beltrão-Mendes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | - Carla S S de Castro
- Departamento de Engenharia e Meio Ambiente, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Monitoramento Ambiental, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Rio Tinto, Brazil
| | - Renata R D Chagas
- Departamento de Sistemárica e Ecologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Maria F De la Fuente
- Departamento de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Marina H L Duarte
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados e Museu de Ciências Naturais, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Stephen F Ferrari
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Passamani
- Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
| | - Nicola Schiel
- Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Etologia Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Antonio Souto
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Robert J Young
- Department of Biology, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
| | - João P Souza-Alves
- Departamento de Zoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal and Laboratório de Ecologia, Comportamento e Conservação (LECC), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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9
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Bethge J, Razafimampiandra JC, Wulff A, Dausmann KH. Sportive lemurs elevate their metabolic rate during challenging seasons and do not enter regular heterothermy. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab075. [PMID: 34527247 PMCID: PMC8436000 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Animals experience seasonal changes of environmental and ecological conditions in most habitats. Fluctuations in ambient temperature have a strong influence on thermoregulation, particularly on small endothermic mammals. However, different mammalian species cope differently with these changes. Understanding the physiological responses of organisms to different seasons and analysing the mechanisms that account for intra- and inter-specific differences and the ecological consequences of these variations is important to predict species responses to climatic changes. Consequences of climatic changes will be most pronounced in climatically already challenging habitats, such as the dry regions of western Madagascar. We aimed to identify the seasonal responses and adaptive possibilities in energy budgeting of Lepilemur edwardsi, a small primate of this habitat, by measuring metabolic rate (MR; open-flow respiratory) and skin temperature in the field during different seasons. Resting metabolism was generally low, but our study did not detect any signs of regular heterothermic episodes, despite the fact that these are known in other sympatrically living lemurs with a similar lifestyle. Surprisingly, L. edwardsi responded by elevating its resting MR in the poor-resourced dry season, compared to the better-resourced wet season, presumably to master detoxification of their increasingly toxic diet. As body mass decreased over this time, this strategy is obviously not energetically balanced on the long term. This is cause for concern, as it suggests that L. edwardsi has a very small leeway to adjust to changing conditions as experienced due to climate change, as dry season are expected to become longer and hotter, straining water budgets and food quality even more. Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of studying physiological parameters directly in the field and under differing climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Bethge
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jean Claude Razafimampiandra
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d’Antananarivo, B.P. 906, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Arne Wulff
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin H Dausmann
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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10
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Giroud S, Habold C, Nespolo RF, Mejías C, Terrien J, Logan SM, Henning RH, Storey KB. The Torpid State: Recent Advances in Metabolic Adaptations and Protective Mechanisms †. Front Physiol 2021; 11:623665. [PMID: 33551846 PMCID: PMC7854925 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.623665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Torpor and hibernation are powerful strategies enabling animals to survive periods of low resource availability. The state of torpor results from an active and drastic reduction of an individual's metabolic rate (MR) associated with a relatively pronounced decrease in body temperature. To date, several forms of torpor have been described in all three mammalian subclasses, i.e., monotremes, marsupials, and placentals, as well as in a few avian orders. This review highlights some of the characteristics, from the whole organism down to cellular and molecular aspects, associated with the torpor phenotype. The first part of this review focuses on the specific metabolic adaptations of torpor, as it is used by many species from temperate zones. This notably includes the endocrine changes involved in fat- and food-storing hibernating species, explaining biomedical implications of MR depression. We further compare adaptive mechanisms occurring in opportunistic vs. seasonal heterotherms, such as tropical and sub-tropical species. Such comparisons bring new insights into the metabolic origins of hibernation among tropical species, including resistance mechanisms to oxidative stress. The second section of this review emphasizes the mechanisms enabling heterotherms to protect their key organs against potential threats, such as reactive oxygen species, associated with the torpid state. We notably address the mechanisms of cellular rehabilitation and protection during torpor and hibernation, with an emphasis on the brain, a central organ requiring protection during torpor and recovery. Also, a special focus is given to the role of an ubiquitous and readily-diffusing molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), in protecting against ischemia-reperfusion damage in various organs over the torpor-arousal cycle and during the torpid state. We conclude that (i) the flexibility of torpor use as an adaptive strategy enables different heterothermic species to substantially suppress their energy needs during periods of severely reduced food availability, (ii) the torpor phenotype implies marked metabolic adaptations from the whole organism down to cellular and molecular levels, and (iii) the torpid state is associated with highly efficient rehabilitation and protective mechanisms ensuring the continuity of proper bodily functions. Comparison of mechanisms in monotremes and marsupials is warranted for understanding the origin and evolution of mammalian torpor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Giroud
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Caroline Habold
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Roberto F. Nespolo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program-iBio, Valdivia, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Mejías
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program-iBio, Valdivia, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jérémy Terrien
- Unité Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV), UMR 7179, CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Brunoy, France
| | | | - Robert H. Henning
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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11
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Reher S, Dausmann KH. Tropical bats counter heat by combining torpor with adaptive hyperthermia. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202059. [PMID: 33434466 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many tropical mammals are vulnerable to heat because their water budget limits the use of evaporative cooling for heat compensation. Further increasing temperatures and aridity might consequently exceed their thermoregulatory capacities. Here, we describe two novel modes of torpor, a response usually associated with cold or resource bottlenecks, as efficient mechanisms to counter heat. We conducted a field study on the Malagasy bat Macronycteris commersoni resting in foliage during the hot season, unprotected from environmental extremes. On warm days, the bats alternated between remarkably short micro-torpor bouts and normal resting metabolism within a few minutes. On hot days, the bats extended their torpor bouts over the hottest time of the day while tolerating body temperatures up to 42.9°C. Adaptive hyperthermia combined with lowered metabolic heat production from torpor allows higher heat storage from the environment, negates the need for evaporative cooling and thus increases heat tolerance. However, it is a high-risk response as the torpid bats cannot defend body temperature if ambient temperature increases above a critical/lethal threshold. Torpor coupled with hyperthermia and micro-torpor bouts broaden our understanding of the basic principles of thermal physiology and demonstrate how mammals can perform near their upper thermal limits in an increasingly warmer world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Reher
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin H Dausmann
- Functional Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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12
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McFarland R, Barrett L, Fuller A, Hetem RS, Porter WP, Young C, Henzi SP. Infrared thermography cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23204. [PMID: 33043502 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the physiological processes that underpin primate performance is key if we are to assess how a primate might respond when navigating new and changing environments. Given the connection between a mammal's ability to thermoregulate and the changing demands of its thermal environment, increasing attention is being devoted to the study of thermoregulatory processes as a means to assess primate performance. Infrared thermography can be used to record the body surface temperatures of free-ranging animals. However, some uncertainty remains as to how these measurements can be used to approximate core body temperature. Here, we use data collected from wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to examine the relationship between infrared body surface temperature, core body (intra-abdominal) temperature, and local climate, to determine to what extent surface temperatures reflect core body temperature. While we report a positive association between surface and core body temperature-a finding that has previously been used to justify the use of surface temperature measurements as a proxy for core temperature regulation-when we controlled for the effect of the local climate in our analyses, this relationship was no longer observed. That is, body surface temperatures were solely predicted by local climate, and not core body temperatures, suggesting that surface temperatures tell us more about the environment a primate is in, and less about the thermal status of its body core in that environment. Despite the advantages of a noninvasive means to detect and record animal temperatures, infrared thermography alone cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard McFarland
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Louise Barrett
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Robyn S Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christopher Young
- Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.,Endocrine Research Laboratory, Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - S Peter Henzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada.,Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
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13
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Li Y, Huang X, Huang Z. Behavioral adjustments and support use of François' langur in limestone habitat in Fusui, China: Implications for behavioral thermoregulation. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4956-4967. [PMID: 32551073 PMCID: PMC7297789 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Climatic factors such as temperature and humidity vary seasonally in primate habitats; thus, behavioral adjustments and microhabitat selection by primate species have been interpreted as behavioral adaptations. François' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), a native species to southwest China and northern Vietnam, inhabits a limestone habitat with extreme climatic conditions. To understand the potential effects of climatic seasonality on this species, we collected data on the individual behavioral budgets in a T. francoisi group between January and December 2010 in Fusui County, China. Monthly, we performed 5-11 days of observation during this period, using focal animal sampling and continuous recording methods. We also recorded ambient temperature (T a) and relative humidity (H r) data at our study site. Results indicated that T a and H r were significantly correlated with each other and fluctuated dramatically on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The amount of time spent resting, grooming, basking, and huddling also varied on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. The proportion of resting time and total sedentary activity time significantly increased at high and low T as, respectively. The total sedentary time, resting time, and plant branch use all showed positive significant correlations with T a. Our results suggest that behavioral adjustment and support use of T. francoisi, at least partly, were related to thermoregulation. T. francoisi minimized thermal stress through behavioral adjustments and support use. It is an adaptive behavior associated with the climatic extremes of limestone habitat. This study can potentially advise conservation management strategies in this specific habitat. Conservation efforts should focus on vegetation restoration in langurs' habitat, including those in the foothills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbang Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Xiaohong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Zhonghao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University)Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
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14
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Nowack J, Levesque DL, Reher S, Dausmann KH. Variable Climates Lead to Varying Phenotypes: “Weird” Mammalian Torpor and Lessons From Non-Holarctic Species. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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15
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Differential responses of non-human primates to seasonal temperature fluctuations. Primates 2020; 61:455-464. [PMID: 32034535 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00801-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Non-human primates (NHPs) can adapt to conditions outside of their natural habitat and climatic ranges but this can be influenced by inherent evolutionary traits or plasticity of species that evolved in diverse environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated how five species of NHPs that have natural distributions across a range of climatic conditions responded to seasonal temperature changes in a captive environment. The activity levels of NHPs were affected by temperature changes over the season, where activity levels were generally reduced at the lower and higher temperature ranges. Species that are naturally found within narrower and warmer climatic ranges, compared to those found in colder environments with wider fluctuations in temperature, showed more marked changes in activity levels in response to temperature changes. In lower temperature conditions, three out of five species showed significantly lower activity levels; whereas in higher temperature conditions, the activity levels of all species did not significantly decrease. The frequency of thermoregulation behaviours was higher, and use of artificial thermoregulatory sources lower, for species that did not substantially adjust their activity levels in different temperature conditions. Our results suggest that NHPs largely retained the evolutionary traits related to thermoregulation, according to the different ambient conditions they evolved in and may have low behavioural plasticity in adapting to conditions outside of their natural ranges. These results provide insights for improving conservation and captive management and may have implications for understanding NHP resilience to the increasing impact of global climate change.
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16
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McFarland R, Barrett L, Costello M, Fuller A, Hetem RS, Maloney SK, Mitchell D, Henzi PS. Keeping cool in the heat: Behavioral thermoregulation and body temperature patterns in wild vervet monkeys. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:407-418. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard McFarland
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison Madison Wisconsin
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Louise Barrett
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Lethbridge Lethbridge Canada
- Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystems Research UnitUniversity of South Africa Pretoria South Africa
| | - Mary‐Ann Costello
- Central Animal ServicesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Robyn S. Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Shane K. Maloney
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Duncan Mitchell
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human SciencesUniversity of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Peter S. Henzi
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Lethbridge Lethbridge Canada
- Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystems Research UnitUniversity of South Africa Pretoria South Africa
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17
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Boyles JG, Levesque DL, Nowack J, Wojciechowski MS, Stawski C, Fuller A, Smit B, Tattersall GJ. An oversimplification of physiological principles leads to flawed macroecological analyses. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12020-12025. [PMID: 31832143 PMCID: PMC6854103 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Justin G Boyles
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Center for Ecology School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
| | | | - Julia Nowack
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
| | - Michał S Wojciechowski
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection Nicolaus Copernicus University Toruń Poland
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group School of Physiology University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Ben Smit
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Grahamstown South Africa
| | - Glenn J Tattersall
- Department of Biological Sciences Brock University St. Catharines ON Canada
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18
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Khaliq I, Hof C. Testing the heat dissipation limitation hypothesis: basal metabolic rates of endotherms decrease with increasing upper and lower critical temperatures. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5725. [PMID: 30402344 PMCID: PMC6215442 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic critical temperatures define the range of ambient temperatures where endotherms are able to minimize energy allocation to thermogenesis. Examining the relationship between metabolic critical temperatures and basal metabolic rates (BMR) provides a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of how animals respond to varying ambient climatic conditions, especially in times of ongoing and projected future climate change. We make use of this opportunity by testing the heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory, which hypothesizes that the maximum amount of heat a species can dissipate constrains its energetics. Specifically, we test the theory’s implicit prediction that BMR should be lower under higher metabolic critical temperatures. We analysed the relationship of BMR with upper and lower critical temperatures for a large dataset of 146 endotherm species using regression analyses, carefully accounting for phylogenetic relationships and body mass. We show that metabolic critical temperatures are negatively related with BMR in both birds and mammals. Our results confirm the predictions of the HDL theory, suggesting that metabolic critical temperatures and basal metabolic rates respond in concert to ambient climatic conditions. This implies that heat dissipation capacities of endotherms may be an important factor to take into account in assessments of species’ vulnerability to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khaliq
- Department of Zoology, Ghazi University, Pakistan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian Hof
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt, Germany.,Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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19
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Mandl I, Holderied M, Schwitzer C. The Effects of Climate Seasonality on Behavior and Sleeping Site Choice in Sahamalaza Sportive Lemurs, Lepilemur sahamalaza. INT J PRIMATOL 2018; 39:1039-1067. [PMID: 30613116 PMCID: PMC6300582 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0059-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Temperature, rainfall, and resource availability may vary greatly within a single year in primate habitats. Many primate species show behavioral and physiological adaptations to this environmental seasonality, including changes to their diets and activity. Sahamalaza sportive lemurs (Lepilemur sahamalaza) inhabit the northwest of Madagascar and have been studied only during the dry, colder period of the year. We investigated potential effects of climate seasonality on this species by collecting behavioral data between October 2015 and August 2016, encompassing both the warmer wet and the colder dry seasons. We collected 773.15 hours of behavioral data on 14 individual sportive lemurs to investigate year-round activity budgets, ranging behavior, and sleeping site locations. Additionally we recorded temperature and rainfall data at our study site to describe the environmental conditions during the study period. The study individuals significantly decreased their time spent traveling and increased their time spent resting in the dry season compared to the wet season. Although home range size and path lengths did not differ over the study period, sleeping locations were significantly different between seasons as the lemurs focused on more confined areas in colder periods. Overall, the results indicate that Sahamalaza sportive lemur behavior varies with season, in line with reports for other primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Mandl
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Marc Holderied
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Christoph Schwitzer
- Bristol Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA UK
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20
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Reher S, Ehlers J, Rabarison H, Dausmann KH. Short and hyperthermic torpor responses in the Malagasy bat Macronycteris commersoni reveal a broader hypometabolic scope in heterotherms. J Comp Physiol B 2018; 188:1015-1027. [PMID: 30121696 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-018-1171-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The energy budgets of animal species are closely linked to their ecology, and balancing energy expenditure with energy acquisition is key for survival. Changes in animals' environments can be challenging, particularly for bats, which are small endotherms with large uninsulated flight membranes. Heterothermy is a powerful response used to cope with changing environmental conditions. Recent research has revealed that many tropical and subtropical species are heterothermic and display torpor with patterns unlike those of "classical" heterotherms from temperate and arctic regions. However, only a handful of studies investigating torpor in bats in their natural environment exist. Therefore, we investigated whether the Malagasy bat Macronycteris commersoni enters torpor in the driest and least predictable region in Madagascar. We examined the energy balance and thermal biology of M. commersoni in the field by relating metabolic rate (MR) and skin temperature (Tskin) measurements to local environmental characteristics in the dry and rainy seasons. Macronycteris commersoni entered torpor and showed extreme variability in torpor patterns, including surprisingly short torpor bouts, lasting on average 20 min, interrupted by MR peaks. Torpid MR was remarkably low (0.13 ml O2 h-1 g-1), even when Tskin exceeded that of normothermia (41 °C). Macronycteris commersoni is thus physiologically capable of (1) entering torpor at high ambient temperature and Tskin and (2) rapidly alternating between torpid and normothermic MR resulting in very short bouts. This suggests that the scope of hypometabolism amongst heterothermic animals is broader than previously assumed and underlines the importance of further investigation into the torpor continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Reher
- Functional Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Julian Ehlers
- Animal Ecology and Conservation, Institute for Zoology, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hajatiana Rabarison
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Kathrin H Dausmann
- Functional Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
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21
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Blanco MB, Dausmann KH, Faherty SL, Yoder AD. Tropical heterothermy is “cool”: The expression of daily torpor and hibernation in primates. Evol Anthropol 2018; 27:147-161. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne D. Yoder
- Duke Lemur Center; Durham North Carolina
- Department of Biology; Duke University; Durham North Carolina
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22
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Rina Evasoa M, Radespiel U, Hasiniaina AF, Rasoloharijaona S, Randrianambinina B, Rakotondravony R, Zimmermann E. Variation in reproduction of the smallest-bodied primate radiation, the mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.): A synopsis. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22874. [PMID: 29767414 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction is a fundamental trait in the life history of any species and contributes to species diversity and evolution. Here, we aim to review the barely known variation in reproductive patterns of the smallest-bodied primate radiation, the Malagasy mouse lemurs, focusing on twelve species of four phylogenetic clades. We present a new reproductive field dataset collected between May and November 1996-2016 for nine species (Microcebus murinus, M. myoxinus, M. ravelobensis, M. bongolavensis, M. danfossi, M. sambiranensis, M. margothmarshae, M. mamiratra, and M. lehilahytsara) and add published field information on three additional species. In the majority of species, the estrus of females was recorded in the period of long days (day length longer than 12 hr), whereas male testes size increased about one to three months prior to this. Reproductive schedules varied considerably between the four clades. Sympatric species-pairs of different clades differed in the timing of female and male reproduction, suggesting strong phylogenetic constraints. Populations of the same species in a different ecological setting varied in the onset of reproduction, suggesting substantial environmental plasticity. Warm temperatures and rainfall throughout the year may allow for less expressed reproductive seasonality. Our results suggest that an interplay between phylogenetic relatedness, ambient temperature (as a proxy for thermo regulatory constraints), and rainfall (as a proxy for food availability), may best explain this variation. Findings further point to a more complex control of mouse lemur reproduction than previously described and illuminate phylogenetic constraints and adaptive potentials in behavioral reaction norms of a species-rich primate radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamy Rina Evasoa
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alida F Hasiniaina
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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23
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Levesque DL, Tuen AA, Lovegrove BG. Staying hot to fight the heat-high body temperatures accompany a diurnal endothermic lifestyle in the tropics. J Comp Physiol B 2018; 188:707-716. [PMID: 29623412 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-018-1160-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L Levesque
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
| | - Andrew Alek Tuen
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA
| | - Barry G Lovegrove
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
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24
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Hanya G, Otani Y, Hongo S, Honda T, Okamura H, Higo Y. Activity of wild Japanese macaques in Yakushima revealed by camera trapping: Patterns with respect to season, daily period and rainfall. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190631. [PMID: 29293657 PMCID: PMC5749816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are subject to various scales of temporal environmental fluctuations, among which daily and seasonal variations are two of the most widespread and significant ones. Many biotic and abiotic factors change temporally, and climatic factors are particularly important because they directly affect the cost of thermoregulation. The purpose of the present study was to determine the activity patterns of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) with a special emphasis on the effect of thermal conditions. We set 30 camera traps in the coniferous forest of Yakushima and monitored them for a total of 8658 camera-days between July 2014 and July 2015. Over the one-year period, temperature had a positive effect, and rainfall had a negative effect on the activity of macaques during the day. Capture rate was significantly higher during the time period of one hour after sunrise and during midday. During winter days, macaques concentrated their activity around noon, and activity shifted from the morning toward the afternoon. This could be interpreted as macaques shifting their activity to warmer time periods within a single day. Japanese macaques decreased their activity during the time before sunrise in seasons with lower temperatures. It was beneficial for macaques to be less active during cooler time periods in a cold season. Even small amounts of rainfall negatively affected the activity of Japanese macaques, with capture rates decreasing significantly even when rainfall was only 0.5-1 mm/min. In conclusion, thermal conditions significantly affected the activity of wild Japanese macaques at various time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goro Hanya
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Yosuke Otani
- Institute for Academic Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Shun Hongo
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Takeaki Honda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Hiroki Okamura
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Yuma Higo
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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25
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O'Mara MT, Rikker S, Wikelski M, Ter Maat A, Pollock HS, Dechmann DKN. Heart rate reveals torpor at high body temperatures in lowland tropical free-tailed bats. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:171359. [PMID: 29308259 PMCID: PMC5750026 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Reduction in metabolic rate and body temperature is a common strategy for small endotherms to save energy. The daily reduction in metabolic rate and heterothermy, or torpor, is particularly pronounced in regions with a large variation in daily ambient temperature. This applies most strongly in temperate bat species (order Chiroptera), but it is less clear how tropical bats save energy if ambient temperatures remain high. However, many subtropical and tropical species use some daily heterothermy on cool days. We recorded the heart rate and the body temperature of free-ranging Pallas' mastiff bats (Molossus molossus) in Gamboa, Panamá, and showed that these individuals have low field metabolic rates across a wide range of body temperatures that conform to high ambient temperature. Importantly, low metabolic rates in controlled respirometry trials were best predicted by heart rate, and not body temperature. Molossus molossus enter torpor-like states characterized by low metabolic rate and heart rates at body temperatures of 32°C, and thermoconform across a range of temperatures. Flexible metabolic strategies may be far more common in tropical endotherms than currently known.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Teague O'Mara
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama City, Panamá
- Author for correspondence: M. Teague O'Mara e-mail:
| | - Sebastian Rikker
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama City, Panamá
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andries Ter Maat
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Henry S. Pollock
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama City, Panamá
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26
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Steffens KJE, Jacques Rakotondranary S, Ratovonamana YR, Ganzhorn JU. Vegetation Thresholds for the Occurrence and Dispersal of Microcebus griseorufus in Southwestern Madagascar. INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-0003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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27
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Genoud M, Isler K, Martin RD. Comparative analyses of basal rate of metabolism in mammals: data selection does matter. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:404-438. [PMID: 28752629 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Basal rate of metabolism (BMR) is a physiological parameter that should be measured under strictly defined experimental conditions. In comparative analyses among mammals BMR is widely used as an index of the intensity of the metabolic machinery or as a proxy for energy expenditure. Many databases with BMR values for mammals are available, but the criteria used to select metabolic data as BMR estimates have often varied and the potential effect of this variability has rarely been questioned. We provide a new, expanded BMR database reflecting compliance with standard criteria (resting, postabsorptive state; thermal neutrality; adult, non-reproductive status for females) and examine potential effects of differential selectivity on the results of comparative analyses. The database includes 1739 different entries for 817 species of mammals, compiled from the original sources. It provides information permitting assessment of the validity of each estimate and presents the value closest to a proper BMR for each entry. Using different selection criteria, several alternative data sets were extracted and used in comparative analyses of (i) the scaling of BMR to body mass and (ii) the relationship between brain mass and BMR. It was expected that results would be especially dependent on selection criteria with small sample sizes and with relatively weak relationships. Phylogenetically informed regression (phylogenetic generalized least squares, PGLS) was applied to the alternative data sets for several different clades (Mammalia, Eutheria, Metatheria, or individual orders). For Mammalia, a 'subsampling procedure' was also applied, in which random subsamples of different sample sizes were taken from each original data set and successively analysed. In each case, two data sets with identical sample size and species, but comprising BMR data with different degrees of reliability, were compared. Selection criteria had minor effects on scaling equations computed for large clades (Mammalia, Eutheria, Metatheria), although less-reliable estimates of BMR were generally about 12-20% larger than more-reliable ones. Larger effects were found with more-limited clades, such as sciuromorph rodents. For the relationship between BMR and brain mass the results of comparative analyses were found to depend strongly on the data set used, especially with more-limited, order-level clades. In fact, with small sample sizes (e.g. <100) results often appeared erratic. Subsampling revealed that sample size has a non-linear effect on the probability of a zero slope for a given relationship. Depending on the species included, results could differ dramatically, especially with small sample sizes. Overall, our findings indicate a need for due diligence when selecting BMR estimates and caution regarding results (even if seemingly significant) with small sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Genoud
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Karin Isler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zürich-Irchel, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Robert D Martin
- Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605-2496, U.S.A.,Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich-Irchel, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
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28
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Bethge J, Wist B, Stalenberg E, Dausmann K. Seasonal adaptations in energy budgeting in the primate Lepilemur leucopus. J Comp Physiol B 2017; 187:827-834. [PMID: 28314947 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1082-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spiny forest of South Madagascar is one of the driest and most unpredictable habitats in Africa. The small-bodied, nocturnal primate Lepilemur leucopus lives in this harsh habitat with high diurnal and seasonal changes in ambient temperature. In this study, we investigated seasonal adaptions in energy budgeting of L. leucopus, which allow it to live under these conditions by measuring resting metabolic rate using open-flow respirometry. No signs of heterothermy were detected, and resting metabolic rate was significantly lower in the warmer wet season than in the colder dry season. In fact, L. leucopus possesses one of the lowest mass-specific metabolic rates measured so far for an endotherm, probably the result of adaptations to its habitat and folivorous and potentially toxic diet. Surprisingly, we identified a shift of the thermoneutral zone from between 25 and 30 °C in the wet season to between 29 and 32 °C in the cool dry season. L. leucopus seems to be more affected by the hot daytime temperatures during the dry season and thermoregulation seems to be more costly during this time, which makes this shift of the thermoneutral zone advantageous. Our findings suggest that L. leucopus has a very small scope to unfavorable conditions, making it highly vulnerable, e.g., to changing conditions due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Bethge
- Zoological Institute, Functional Ecology, Biocenter Grindel, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Bianca Wist
- Zoological Institute, Functional Ecology, Biocenter Grindel, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eleanor Stalenberg
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kathrin Dausmann
- Zoological Institute, Functional Ecology, Biocenter Grindel, University Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
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Dausmann KH, Warnecke L. Primate Torpor Expression: Ghost of the Climatic Past. Physiology (Bethesda) 2016; 31:398-408. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00050.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Torpor, the controlled depression of virtually all bodily function during scarce periods, was verified in primates under free-ranging conditions less than two decades ago. The large variety of different torpor patterns found both within and among closely related species is particularly remarkable. To help unravel the cause of these variable patterns, our review investigates primate torpor use within an evolutionary framework. First, we provide an overview of heterothermic primate species, focusing on the Malagasy lemurs, and discuss their use of daily torpor or hibernation in relation to habitat type and climatic conditions. Second, we investigate environmental characteristics that may have been involved in shaping the high variability of torpor expression found in lemurs today. Third, we examine potential triggers for torpor use in lemurs. We propose the “torpor refugia hypothesis” to illustrate how disparate primate torpor patterns possibly evolved in response to environmental cues during glacial periods, when animals were restricted to different refuge habitats along riverine corridors. For example, individuals enduring harsher conditions at higher altitudes likely developed seasonal hibernation, whereas those inhabiting lower elevation river catchments might have coped with unfavorable conditions by employing daily torpor. The ultimate stimuli triggering torpor use today likely differ between the different habitats of Madagascar. The broad diversity of torpor patterns in lemurs among closely related species, both within the same and in distinctly different habitat types, provides an ideal base for research into the stimuli for torpor use in endotherms in general. Our hypothesis highlights the importance of considering the environmental conditions under which ecosystems and species evolved when trying to explain physiological adaptations seen today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin H. Dausmann
- Zoological Institute, Functional Ecology, University Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Warnecke
- Zoological Institute, Functional Ecology, University Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Levesque DL, Nowack J, Stawski C. Modelling mammalian energetics: the heterothermy problem. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-016-0022-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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