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Li WJ, Guo Y, Sun SC. Population genetics of Artemia urmiana species complex (Crustacea, Anostraca): A group with asymmetrical dispersal and gene flow mediated by migratory waterfowl. Gene 2024; 894:147957. [PMID: 37923096 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Bird-mediated dispersal of resting eggs is the main mechanism for Artemia dispersal among catchments. The bisexual populations of Artemia urmiana species complex, which is here considered to be a collection of Artemia genetically close to the so-called "Western Asian Lineage", are mostly distributed in central and western Asia (i.e., in regions falling into the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds) and live in diversified habitats. Little is known about the genetic relationships among these populations. Aiming to understand the population genetic characteristics and the roles of migratory birds on the dispersal and gene flow of this Artemia group, we evaluated the genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and gene flow among 14 populations, with their altitudes ranging from 540 to 4870 m above sea level, using 13 microsatellite markers. Almost all populations exhibited high genetic diversity and heterozygote excess, which may be a consequence of combined effects of dispersal and hybridization. The global genetic differentiation (FST) value was 0.092, the pairwise FST values were 0.003-0.246. Discriminant analysis of principal components identified three genetic clusters, consisting of Urmia Lake (Iran), Zhundong (Xinjiang, China), and 12 Qinghai-Tibet Plateau populations, respectively. The among-population genetic differentiation seems to be a consequence of isolation by distance and adaptation to diversified habitats induced by altitudinal gradient. Historical gene flows are asymmetrical, and show an evolutionary source-sink dynamics, with Jingyu Lake (Xinjiang, China) population being the major source. These results support our hypothesis that in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas the bird-mediated dispersal of Artemia may be biased towards from north to south and/or from higher altitude to lower altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Fisheries Research Institute, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Shi-Chun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266000, China.
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2
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Burnley M. Invited review: The speed-duration relationship across the animal kingdom. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 279:111387. [PMID: 36740171 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The parameters of the hyperbolic speed-duration relationship (the asymptote critical speed, CS, and the curvature constant, D') provide estimates of the maximal steady state speed (CS) and the distance an animal can run, swim, or fly at speeds above CS before it is forced to slow down or stop (D'). The speed-duration relationship has been directly studied in humans, horses, mice and rats. The technical difficulties with treadmill running in dogs and the relatively short greyhound race durations means that, perhaps surprisingly, it has not been assessed in dogs. The endurance capabilities of lizards, crabs and salamanders has also been measured, and the speed-duration relationship can be calculated from these data. These analyses show that 1) raising environmental temperature from 25 °C to 40 °C in lizards can double the CS with no change in D'; 2) that lungless salamanders have an extremely low critical speed due, most likely, to O2 diffusion limitations associated with cutaneous respiration; and 3) the painted ghost crab possesses the highest endurance parameter ratio (D'/CS) yet recorded (470 s), allowing it to maintain high speeds for extended periods. Although the speed-duration relationship has not been measured in fish, the sustainable swimming speed has been quantified in a range of species and is conceptually similar to the maximal steady state in humans. The high aerobic power of birds and low metabolic cost of transport during flight permits the extreme feats of endurance observed in bird migrations. However, the parameters of the avian speed-duration relationship have not been quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Burnley
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK.
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3
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Galli GLJ, Lock MC, Smith KLM, Giussani DA, Crossley DA. Effects of Developmental Hypoxia on the Vertebrate Cardiovascular System. Physiology (Bethesda) 2023; 38:0. [PMID: 36317939 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00022.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental hypoxia has profound and persistent effects on the vertebrate cardiovascular system, but the nature, magnitude, and long-term outcome of the hypoxic consequences are species specific. Here we aim to identify common and novel cardiovascular responses among vertebrates that encounter developmental hypoxia, and we discuss the possible medical and ecological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina L J Galli
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mitchell C Lock
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kerri L M Smith
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Dino A Giussani
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dane A Crossley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
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4
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Zhao X, Che X, Ning T, Zou F. Distribution of birds in the high-altitude area of Mount Everest. Integr Zool 2023; 18:199-204. [PMID: 34936218 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The species and abundance of birds in the high altitude area of Mount Everest decreased sharply with the increase of altitude. Alpine Choughs forage at altitudes of up to 8000 m and are the highest distribution of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuebing Zhao
- Yunnan Asian Elephant Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianli Che
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ning
- Kunming Bird Conservation Association, Kunming, China
| | - Fasheng Zou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Chromosome-level genome assembly of the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus). Sci Data 2022; 9:668. [PMID: 36329062 PMCID: PMC9633837 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01801-9] [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: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) are adaptable to plateau environments. In this study, we sequenced and assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome of the bar-headed goose using PacBio long reads and Hi-C technique, and generated 115.73 Gb of Illumina short-reads and 95.89 Gb of PacBio long-reads. The assembled bar-headed goose genome, with a contig N50 of 5.734 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 65.77 Mb, is 1.129 Gb in length and includes 33 chromosomes and 451 fragments. BUSCO assessment yielded a completeness score of 94.4%. In total, 15,376 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 94.95% had homologs in protein databases. We identified 78 positively selected genes (PSGs) in the bar-headed goose genome, which were mainly enriched in calcium ion and ATP-binding. This bar-headed goose genome will be an important resource for increasing our understanding regarding the genetic basis of adaptation to life at a high altitude.
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6
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Black Kites on a flyway between Western Siberia and the Indian Subcontinent. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5581. [PMID: 35368027 PMCID: PMC8976839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09246-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is one of the most widespread raptors in the world. The Palaearctic is populated by two migrating subspecies, Milvus migrans migrans and Milvus migrans lineatus, in the western and eastern part of this realm, respectively. There is a large intergradation zone of M. m. migrans/M. m. lineatus in-between. Although the migration routes of M. m. migrans from Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East are well known, detailed information about migration routes of Black Kites from intergradation zone are missing. Using satellite telemetry we are able to fill this gap in our knowledge of these birds. We tagged with GPS/SMS/GPRS telemetry loggers 13 and 6 Black Kite pulli in lowland around Biysk (Altai Krai, Russia) and in mountains around Kosh-Agach (Altai Republic, Russia), respectively. After fledging, Black Kites from both subpopulations stayed in a small, non-overlapping areas and then migrated to southern Asia through narrow corridors. Black Kites originating from Biysk migrated through the Western Circum-Himalayan Corridor. Black Kites originating from Kosh-Agach used the Trans-Himalayan Corridor crossing the Himalayas in altitudes of up to 6256 m asl. The average total distance travelled of Black Kites from both subpopulations was 9166 km without any significant differences between these subpopulations. Timing of both spring and autumn migration did not vary along different age groups. Black Kites from both subpopulations wintered in low elevations of Pakistan and India. Birds wintered on average for 190 days, and the mean area of individual home ranges in winter was 4704 km2. During the breeding period, birds dwelled in south-western Siberia, where they spent on average 125 days with an average home range size 3537 km2. We found that ontogenetic shifts in migratory behaviour of Black Kites from Eastern Russia differ from those in population/subspecies in Europe. Black Kites crossing the Himalayas fly and, moreover, stay for hours resting at night in the environment of mountains at altitudes over 5000 m.
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Turbek SP, Schield DR, Scordato ESC, Contina A, Da XW, Liu Y, Liu Y, Pagani-Núñez E, Ren QM, Smith CCR, Stricker CA, Wunder M, Zonana DM, Safran RJ. A migratory divide spanning two continents is associated with genomic and ecological divergence. Evolution 2022; 76:722-736. [PMID: 35166383 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Migratory divides are contact zones between breeding populations with divergent migratory strategies during the nonbreeding season. These locations provide an opportunity to evaluate the role of seasonal migration in the maintenance of reproductive isolation, particularly the relationship between population structure and features associated with distinct migratory strategies. We combine light-level geolocators, genomic sequencing, and stable isotopes to investigate the timing of migration and migratory routes of individuals breeding on either side of a migratory divide coinciding with genomic differentiation across a hybrid zone between barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) subspecies in China. Individuals west of the hybrid zone, with H. r. rustica ancestry, had comparatively enriched stable-carbon and hydrogen isotope values and overwintered in eastern Africa, whereas birds east of the hybrid zone, with H. r. gutturalis ancestry, had depleted isotope values and migrated to southern India. The two subspecies took divergent migratory routes around the high-altitude Karakoram Range and arrived on the breeding grounds over 3 weeks apart. These results indicate that assortative mating by timing of arrival and/or selection against hybrids with intermediate migratory traits may maintain reproductive isolation between the subspecies, and that inhospitable geographic features may have contributed to the diversification of Asian avifauna by influencing migratory patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheela P Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, California, 91768
| | - Andrea Contina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, 80217
| | - Xin-Wei Da
- College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Qing-Miao Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chris C R Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Craig A Stricker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526
| | - Michael Wunder
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, 80217
| | - David M Zonana
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 80210
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
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8
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Galtbalt B, Batbayar N, Sukhbaatar T, Vorneweg B, Heine G, Müller U, Wikelski M, Klaassen M. Differences in on-ground and aloft conditions explain seasonally different migration paths in Demoiselle crane. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:4. [PMID: 35101131 PMCID: PMC8805327 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although some migratory birds may take different routes during their outbound and inbound migration, the factors causing these differential migrations to and from the breeding grounds, have rarely been investigated. In Northeast Asia, Demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) performs one of the most extreme "loop" migrations known to date. During outbound migration, they cross the Himalayas to non-breeding sites in northwest India. Contrastingly, during inbound migration to the breeding grounds, they fly around the western end of the Himalayas. We hypothesise that differences in prevailing environmental conditions aloft and/or on-ground during both seasonal migrations are at the core of this phenomenon. METHODS Based on the tracking data of 16 individuals of tagged Demoiselle crane, we compared conditions during actual migration with those of simulated "reverse" migration (i.e. by adding 180 degrees to the flight direction and adding and subtracting half a year to the timestamps of outbound and inbound migration, respectively). RESULTS The comparison of actual and simulated "reverse" migration indicated that cranes would have encountered poorer aloft (wind support and thermal uplift) and on-ground conditions (temperature) if they had migrated in a reverse outbound migration and poorer on-ground conditions (Normalised Difference Vegetation Indexes [NDVI]) if they had migrated in a reverse inbound direction. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses suggest that both on-ground and aloft conditions play a key role in explaining Demoiselle cranes' loop migration, during the periods that they chose to use these alternative routes. Knowledge on the determinants of (differential) migration routes allow predicting migration decisions and may be critical in mitigating global change effects on animal migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batbayar Galtbalt
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
| | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | - Bernd Vorneweg
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Georg Heine
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Uschi Müller
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
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9
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Hawkes LA, Fahlman A, Sato K. Introduction to the theme issue: Measuring physiology in free-living animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200210. [PMID: 34121463 PMCID: PMC8200652 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
By describing where animals go, biologging technologies (i.e. animal attached logging of biological variables with small electronic devices) have been used to document the remarkable athletic feats of wild animals since the 1940s. The rapid development and miniaturization of physiologging (i.e. logging of physiological variables such as heart rate, blood oxygen content, lactate, breathing frequency and tidal volume on devices attached to animals) technologies in recent times (e.g. devices that weigh less than 2 g mass that can measure electrical biopotentials for days to weeks) has provided astonishing insights into the physiology of free-living animals to document how and why wild animals undertake these extreme feats. Now, physiologging, which was traditionally hindered by technological limitations, device size, ethics and logistics, is poised to benefit enormously from the on-going developments in biomedical and sports wearables technologies. Such technologies are already improving animal welfare and yield in agriculture and aquaculture, but may also reveal future pathways for therapeutic interventions in human health by shedding light on the physiological mechanisms with which free-living animals undertake some of the most extreme and impressive performances on earth. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. A. Hawkes
- Hatherly Laboratories, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
| | - A. Fahlman
- Global Diving Research Inc, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valencia, Valencia, 46005 Spain
| | - K. Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture 277-8564, Japan
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Galtbalt B, Lilleyman A, Coleman JT, Cheng C, Ma Z, Rogers DI, Woodworth BK, Fuller RA, Garnett ST, Klaassen M. Far eastern curlew and whimbrel prefer flying low - wind support and good visibility appear only secondary factors in determining migratory flight altitude. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:32. [PMID: 34120657 PMCID: PMC8201695 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00267-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In-flight conditions are hypothesized to influence the timing and success of long-distance migration. Wind assistance and thermal uplift are thought to reduce the energetic costs of flight, humidity, air pressure and temperature may affect the migrants' water balance, and clouds may impede navigation. Recent advances in animal-borne long-distance tracking enable evaluating the importance of these factors in determining animals' flight altitude. METHODS Here we determine the effects of wind, humidity, temperature, cloud cover, and altitude (as proxy for climbing costs and air pressure) on flight altitude selection of two long-distance migratory shorebirds, far eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) and whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). To reveal the predominant drivers of flight altitude selection during migration we compared the atmospheric conditions at the altitude the birds were found flying with conditions elsewhere in the air column using conditional logistic mixed effect models. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that despite occasional high-altitude migrations (up to 5550 m above ground level), our study species typically forego flying at high altitudes, limiting climbing costs and potentially alleviating water loss and facilitating navigation. While mainly preferring migrating at low altitude, notably in combination with low air temperature, the birds also preferred flying with wind support to likely reduce flight costs. They avoided clouds, perhaps to help navigation or to reduce the risks from adverse weather. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the primary determinant of avian migrant's flight altitude selection is a preference for low altitude, with wind support as an important secondary factor. Our approach and findings can assist in predicting climate change effects on migration and in mitigating bird strikes with air traffic, wind farms, power lines, and other human-made structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batbayar Galtbalt
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Amanda Lilleyman
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environment Science Program, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| | - Jonathan T Coleman
- Queensland Wader Study Group, 22 Parker Street, Shailer Park, 4128, Australia
| | - Chuyu Cheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Danny I Rogers
- Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute, PO Box 137, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
- Australasian Wader Studies Group, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bradley K Woodworth
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen T Garnett
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environment Science Program, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0909, Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Wader Study Group, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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11
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Flight muscle and heart phenotypes in the high-flying ruddy shelduck. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:563-573. [PMID: 33591404 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-020-01326-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: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ruddy shelduck migrate from wintering grounds in lowland India and Myanmar to breeding grounds in central China and Mongolia, sustaining flight over the Himalayas, where oxygen availability is greatly reduced. We compared phenotypes of the pectoralis muscle and the ventricle of the heart from ruddy shelduck and common shelduck (a closely related low-altitude congener) that were raised in common conditions at sea level, predicting that oxidative capacity would be greater in ruddy shelduck to support high-altitude migration. Fibre-type composition of the pectoralis and the maximal activity of eight enzymes involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism in the pectoralis and heart, were compared between species. Few differences distinguished ruddy shelduck from common shelduck in the flight muscle, with the exception that ruddy shelduck had higher activities of complex II and higher ratios of complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) and complex II when expressed relative to citrate synthase activity. There were no species differences in fibre-type composition, so these changes in enzyme activity may reflect an evolved modification in the functional properties of muscle mitochondria, potentially influencing mitochondrial respiratory capacity and/or oxygen affinity. Ruddy shelduck also had higher lactate dehydrogenase activity concurrent with lower pyruvate kinase and hexokinase activity in the left ventricle, which likely reflects an increased capacity for lactate oxidation by the heart. We conclude that changes in pathways of mitochondrial energy metabolism in the muscle and heart may contribute to the ability of ruddy shelduck to fly at high altitude.
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Fahlman A, Aoki K, Bale G, Brijs J, Chon KH, Drummond CK, Føre M, Manteca X, McDonald BI, McKnight JC, Sakamoto KQ, Suzuki I, Rivero MJ, Ropert-Coudert Y, Wisniewska DM. The New Era of Physio-Logging and Their Grand Challenges. Front Physiol 2021; 12:669158. [PMID: 33859577 PMCID: PMC8042203 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.669158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fahlman
- Fundación Oceanográfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kagari Aoki
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Gemma Bale
- Department of Physics and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jeroen Brijs
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Manoa, HI, United States
| | - Ki H. Chon
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Colin K. Drummond
- Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Martin Føre
- Department of Engineering Cybernetics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Xavier Manteca
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Birgitte I. McDonald
- Moss Landing Marine Labs at San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, United States
| | - J. Chris McKnight
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Kentaro Q. Sakamoto
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Ippei Suzuki
- Akkeshi Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Akkeshi, Japan
| | | | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, La Rochelle Université, UMR7372, CNRS, France
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Abstract
Population genomic studies of humans and other animals at high altitude have generated many hypotheses about the genes and pathways that may have contributed to hypoxia adaptation. Future advances require experimental tests of such hypotheses to identify causal mechanisms. Studies to date illustrate the challenge of moving from lists of candidate genes to the identification of phenotypic targets of selection, as it can be difficult to determine whether observed genotype-phenotype associations reflect causal effects or secondary consequences of changes in other traits that are linked via homeostatic regulation. Recent work on high-altitude models such as deer mice has revealed both plastic and evolved changes in respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic traits that contribute to aerobic performance capacity in hypoxia, and analyses of tissue-specific transcriptomes have identified changes in regulatory networks that mediate adaptive changes in physiological phenotype. Here we synthesize recent results and discuss lessons learned from studies of high-altitude adaptation that lie at the intersection of genomics and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay F Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA;
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA;
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14
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Li D, Davison G, Lisovski S, Battley PF, Ma Z, Yang S, How CB, Watkins D, Round P, Yee A, Srinivasan V, Teo C, Teo R, Loo A, Leong CC, Er K. Shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia demonstrate trans-Himalayan flights. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21232. [PMID: 33311583 PMCID: PMC7732824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77897-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many birds wintering in the Indian subcontinent fly across the Himalayas during migration, including Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus), Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo) and Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea). However, little is known about whether shorebirds migrate across the Himalayas from wintering grounds beyond the Indian subcontinent. Using geolocators and satellite tracking devices, we demonstrate for the first time that Common Redshanks (Tringa totanus) and Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) wintering in Singapore can directly fly over the Himalayas to reach breeding grounds in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and north-central Russia respectively. The results also show that migratory shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia can use both the Central Asian Flyway and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. For Redshanks, westerly-breeding birds crossed the Himalayas while more easterly breeders on the Plateau migrated east of the Himalayas. For Whimbrels, an individual that crossed the Himalayas was probably from a breeding population that was different from the others that migrated along the coast up the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The minimum required altitude of routes of trans-Himalayan Redshanks were no higher on average than those of eastern migrants, but geolocator temperature data indicate that birds departing Singapore flew at high elevations even when not required to by topography, suggesting that the Himalayan mountain range may be less of a barrier than assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Li
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore.
| | | | - Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Marine and Polar Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Phil F Battley
- Wildlife & Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shufen Yang
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Doug Watkins
- Australasian Wader Studies Group, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Philip Round
- Department of Biology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Alex Yee
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Clarice Teo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | - Robert Teo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | - Adrian Loo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Kenneth Er
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
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15
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Maina JN, Igbokwe CO. Comparative morphometric analysis of lungs of the semifossorial giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) and the subterranean Nigerian mole rat (Cryptomys foxi). Sci Rep 2020; 10:5244. [PMID: 32251351 PMCID: PMC7090082 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61873-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lungs of the rodent species, the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) and the Nigerian mole rat (Cryptomys foxi) were investigated. Significant morphometric differences exist between the two species. The volume of the lung per unit body mass was 2.7 times larger; the respiratory surface area 3.4 times greater; the volume of the pulmonary capillary blood 2 times more; the harmonic mean thickness of the blood-gas (tissue) barrier (τht) ~29% thinner and; the total pulmonary morphometric diffusing capacity (DLo2) for O2 2.3 times more in C. foxi. C. gambianus occupies open burrows that are ventilated with air while C. foxi lives in closed burrows. The less morphometrically specialized lungs of C. gambianus may be attributed to its much larger body mass (~6 times more) and possibly lower metabolic rate and its semifossorial life whereas the 'superior' lungs of C. foxi may largely be ascribed to the subterranean hypoxic and hypercapnic environment it occupies. Compared to other rodents species that have been investigated hitherto, the τht was mostly smaller in the lungs of the subterranean species and C. foxi has the highest mass-specific DLo2. The fossorial- and the subterranean rodents have acquired various pulmonary structural specializations that relate to habitats occupied.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Maina
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Campus, Kingsway, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa.
| | - Casmir O Igbokwe
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Campus, Kingsway, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
- Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
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16
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Mirzaeinia A, Heppner F, Hassanalian M. An analytical study on leader and follower switching in V-shaped Canada Goose flocks for energy management purposes. SWARM INTELLIGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11721-020-00179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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17
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Parr N, Wilkes M, Hawkes LA. Natural Climbers: Insights from Avian Physiology at High Altitude. High Alt Med Biol 2019; 20:427-437. [DOI: 10.1089/ham.2019.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Parr
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Matt Wilkes
- Centre for Altitude Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Alice Hawkes
- Hatherly Laboratories, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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18
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Parr N, Bishop CM, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Milsom WK, Scott GR, Hawkes LA. Tackling the Tibetan Plateau in a down suit: insights into thermoregulation by bar-headed geese during migration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/19/jeb203695. [PMID: 31601684 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Birds migrating through extreme environments can experience a range of challenges while meeting the demands of flight, including highly variable ambient temperatures, humidity and oxygen levels. However, there has been limited research into avian thermoregulation during migration in extreme environments. This study aimed to investigate the effect of flight performance and high altitude on body temperature (T b) of free-flying bar-headed geese (Anser indicus), a species that completes a high-altitude trans-Himalayan migration through very cold, hypoxic environments. We measured abdominal T b, along with altitude (via changes in barometric pressure), heart rate and body acceleration of bar-headed geese during their migration across the Tibetan Plateau. Bar-headed geese vary the circadian rhythm of T b in response to migration, with peak daily T b during daytime hours outside of migration but early in the morning or overnight during migration, reflecting changes in body acceleration. However, during flight, changes in T b were not consistent with changes in flight performance (as measured by heart rate or rate of ascent) or altitude. Overall, our results suggest that bar-headed geese are able to thermoregulate during high-altitude migration, maintaining T b within a relatively narrow range despite appreciable variation in flight intensity and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Parr
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Charles M Bishop
- Bangor University, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science & Conservation Centre of Mongolia, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
| | - Patrick J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Beverly Chua
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Lucy A Hawkes
- University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
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19
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Meir JU, York JM, Chua BA, Jardine W, Hawkes LA, Milsom WK. Reduced metabolism supports hypoxic flight in the high-flying bar-headed goose ( Anser indicus). eLife 2019; 8:e44986. [PMID: 31478481 PMCID: PMC6721836 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The bar-headed goose is famed for migratory flight at extreme altitude. To better understand the physiology underlying this remarkable behavior, we imprinted and trained geese, collecting the first cardiorespiratory measurements of bar-headed geese flying at simulated altitude in a wind tunnel. Metabolic rate during flight increased 16-fold from rest, supported by an increase in the estimated amount of O2 transported per heartbeat and a modest increase in heart rate. The geese appear to have ample cardiac reserves, as heart rate during hypoxic flights was not higher than in normoxic flights. We conclude that flight in hypoxia is largely achieved via the reduction in metabolic rate compared to normoxia. Arterial [Formula: see text] was maintained throughout flights. Mixed venous PO2 decreased during the initial portion of flights in hypoxia, indicative of increased tissue O2 extraction. We also discovered that mixed venous temperature decreased during flight, which may significantly increase oxygen loading to hemoglobin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica U Meir
- NASA Johnson Space CenterHoustonUnited States
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Julia M York
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
- University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Bev A Chua
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | | | - Lucy A Hawkes
- Hatherly Laboratories, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUnited Kingdom
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20
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Scott GR, Guo KH, Dawson NJ. The Mitochondrial Basis for Adaptive Variation in Aerobic Performance in High-Altitude Deer Mice. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:506-518. [PMID: 29873740 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria play a central role in aerobic performance. Studies aimed at elucidating how evolved variation in mitochondrial physiology contributes to adaptive variation in aerobic performance can therefore provide a unique and powerful lens to understanding the evolution of complex physiological traits. Here, we review our ongoing work on the importance of changes in mitochondrial quantity and quality to adaptive variation in aerobic performance in high-altitude deer mice. Whole-organism aerobic capacity in hypoxia (VO2max) increases in response to hypoxia acclimation in this species, but high-altitude populations have evolved consistently greater VO2max than populations from low altitude. The evolved increase in VO2max in highlanders is associated with an evolved increase in the respiratory capacity of the gastrocnemius muscle. This appears to result from highlanders having more mitochondria in this tissue, attributed to a higher proportional abundance of oxidative fiber-types and a greater mitochondrial volume density within oxidative fibers. The latter is primarily caused by an over-abundance of subsarcolemmal mitochondria in high-altitude mice, which is likely advantageous for mitochondrial O2 supply because more mitochondria are situated adjacent to the cell membrane and close to capillaries. Evolved changes in gastrocnemius phenotype appear to be underpinned by population differences in the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, muscle development, and vascular development. Hypoxia acclimation has relatively little effect on respiratory capacity of the gastrocnemius, but it increases respiratory capacity of the diaphragm. However, the mechanisms responsible for this increase differ between populations: lowlanders appear to adjust mitochondrial quantity and quality (i.e., increases in citrate synthase [CS] activity, and mitochondrial respiration relative to CS activity) and they exhibit higher rates of mitochondrial release of reactive oxygen species, whereas highlanders only increase mitochondrial quantity in response to hypoxia acclimation. In contrast to the variation in skeletal muscles, the respiratory capacity of cardiac muscle does not appear to be affected by hypoxia acclimation and varies little between populations. Therefore, evolved changes in mitochondrial quantity and quality make important tissue-specific contributions to adaptive variation in aerobic performance in high-altitude deer mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Kevin H Guo
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Neal J Dawson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
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21
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Forin-Wiart MA, Enstipp MR, LE Maho Y, Handrich Y. Why implantation of bio-loggers may improve our understanding of how animals cope within their natural environment. Integr Zool 2019; 14:48-64. [PMID: 30251470 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bio-loggers are miniaturized autonomous devices that record quantitative data on the state of free-ranging animals (e.g. behavior, position and physiology) and their natural environment. This is especially relevant for species where direct visual observation is difficult or impossible. Today, ongoing technical development allows the monitoring of numerous parameters in an increasing range of species over extended periods. However, the external attachment of devices might affect various aspects of animal performance (energetics, thermoregulation, foraging as well as social and reproductive behavior), which ultimately affect fitness. External attachment might also increase entanglement risk and the conspicuousness of animals, leaving them more vulnerable to predation. By contrast, implantation of devices can mitigate many of these undesirable effects and might be preferable, especially for long-term studies, provided that the many challenges associated with surgical procedures can be mastered. Implantation may then allow us to gather data that would be impossible to obtain otherwise and thereby may provide new and ecologically relevant insights into the life of wild animals. Here, we: (i) discuss the pros and cons of attachment methods; (ii) highlight recent field studies that used implanted bio-loggers to address eco-physiological questions in a wide range of species; and (iii) discuss logger implantation in light of ethical considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Amélie Forin-Wiart
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Manfred R Enstipp
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France.,Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Yvon LE Maho
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France.,Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Département de Biologie Polaire, Monaco
| | - Yves Handrich
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
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22
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Investigating Home Range, Movement Pattern, and Habitat Selection of Bar-headed Geese during Breeding Season at Qinghai Lake, China. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8100182. [PMID: 30340319 PMCID: PMC6209964 DOI: 10.3390/ani8100182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bar-headed Goose is the only true goose species or Anserinae to migrate solely within the Central Asian Flyway, and thus, it is an ideal species for observing the effects of both land use and climate change throughout the flyway. In this paper, we investigate the home range, movement pattern, and habitat selection of Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) during the breeding season at Qinghai Lake, which is one of their largest breeding areas and a major migration staging area in the flyway. We identified several areas used by the geese during the breeding season along the shoreline of Qinghai Lake and found that most geese had more than one core use area and daily movements that provided insight into their breeding activity. We also observed the intensive use of specific wetlands and habitats near Qinghai Lake. These data provide interesting insights into the movement ecology of this important species and also provide critical information for managers seeking to understand and respond to conservation concerns threatening Bar-headed Geese, such as landscape and habitat changes.
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23
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Jendroszek A, Malte H, Overgaard CB, Beedholm K, Natarajan C, Weber RE, Storz JF, Fago A. Allosteric mechanisms underlying the adaptive increase in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity of the bar-headed goose. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb185470. [PMID: 30026237 PMCID: PMC6176913 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.185470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The high blood-O2 affinity of the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is an integral component of the biochemical and physiological adaptations that allow this hypoxia-tolerant species to undertake migratory flights over the Himalayas. The high blood-O2 affinity of this species was originally attributed to a single amino acid substitution of the major hemoglobin (Hb) isoform, HbA, which was thought to destabilize the low-affinity T state, thereby shifting the T-R allosteric equilibrium towards the high-affinity R state. Surprisingly, this mechanistic hypothesis has never been addressed using native proteins purified from blood. Here, we report a detailed analysis of O2 equilibria and kinetics of native major HbA and minor HbD isoforms from bar-headed goose and greylag goose (Anser anser), a strictly lowland species, to identify and characterize the mechanistic basis for the adaptive change in Hb function. We find that HbA and HbD of bar-headed goose have consistently higher O2 affinities than those of the greylag goose. The corresponding Hb isoforms of the two species are equally responsive to physiological allosteric cofactors and have similar Bohr effects. Thermodynamic analyses of O2 equilibrium curves according to the two-state Monod-Wyman-Changeaux model revealed higher R-state O2 affinities in the bar-headed goose Hbs, associated with lower O2 dissociation rates, compared with the greylag goose. Conversely, the T state was not destabilized and the T-R allosteric equilibrium was unaltered in bar-headed goose Hbs. The physiological implication of these results is that increased R-state affinity allows for enhanced O2 saturation in the lungs during hypoxia, but without impairing O2 delivery to tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans Malte
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Kristian Beedholm
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Roy E Weber
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jay F Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Angela Fago
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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24
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Liu D, Chen L, Wang Y, Lu J, Huang S. How much can we trust GPS wildlife tracking? An assessment in semi-free-ranging Crested Ibis Nipponia nippon. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5320. [PMID: 30065886 PMCID: PMC6063208 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
GPS tracking has been increasingly used for wildlife studies in recent decades, but its performance has not been fully assessed, especially for newly developed lightweight transmitters. We assessed the performance of eight GPS transmitters developed in China by attaching them to Crested Ibises Nipponia nippon confined to two acclimation cages mimicking real habitats. We calculated the distance between GPS locations and the centroid of the cages as the positioning error, and used the 95% (95th percentile) positioning errors to define the accuracy. The positioning success averaged 92.0%, which is much higher than that of previous studies. Locations were not evenly distributed by Location Class (LC), with the LC A and B locations accounting for 88.7%. The observed 95% positioning error in the locations of LC A (9-39 m) and B (11-41 m) was quite accurate, while up to 6.9-8.8% of poor-quality locations were detected in LC C and D with >100 m or even >1, 000 m positioning error. Positioning success and accuracy were different between the test sites, probably due to the difference in vegetation structure. Thus, we argue that the tested transmitters could provide a large proportion of high-quality data for fine-scale studies, and a number of poor-quality locations that need attention. We suggest that the HPOD (horizontal dilution of precision) or PDOP (positional dilution of precision) be reported instead of the LC as a measurement of location accuracy for each location to ensure identification and filtering of implausible locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Lixia Chen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Yihua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Songlin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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25
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Senner NR, Stager M, Verhoeven MA, Cheviron ZA, Piersma T, Bouten W. High-altitude shorebird migration in the absence of topographical barriers: avoiding high air temperatures and searching for profitable winds. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0569. [PMID: 30051848 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly 20% of all bird species migrate between breeding and nonbreeding sites annually. Their migrations include storied feats of endurance and physiology, from non-stop trans-Pacific crossings to flights at the cruising altitudes of jetliners. Despite intense interest in these performances, there remains great uncertainty about which factors most directly influence bird behaviour during migratory flights. We used GPS trackers that measure an individual's altitude and wingbeat frequency to track the migration of black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) and identify the abiotic factors influencing their in-flight migratory behaviour. We found that godwits flew at altitudes above 5000 m during 21% of all migratory flights, and reached maximum flight altitudes of nearly 6000 m. The partial pressure of oxygen at these altitudes is less than 50% of that at sea level, yet these extremely high flights occurred in the absence of topographical barriers. Instead, they were associated with high air temperatures at lower altitudes and increasing wind support at higher altitudes. Our results therefore suggest that wind, temperature and topography all play a role in determining migratory behaviour, but that their relative importance is context dependent. Extremely high-altitude flights may thus not be especially rare, but they may only occur in very specific environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan R Senner
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands .,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Maria Stager
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Mo A Verhoeven
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790, AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098, XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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26
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Ivy CM, York JM, Lague SL, Chua BA, Alza L, McCracken KG, Milsom WK, Scott GR. Validation of a Pulse Oximetry System for High-Altitude Waterfowl by Examining the Hypoxia Responses of the Andean Goose (Chloephaga melanoptera). Physiol Biochem Zool 2018. [DOI: 10.1086/697053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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27
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Molecular basis of hemoglobin adaptation in the high-flying bar-headed goose. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007331. [PMID: 29608560 PMCID: PMC5903655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
During the adaptive evolution of a particular trait, some selectively fixed mutations may be directly causative and others may be purely compensatory. The relative contribution of these two classes of mutation to adaptive phenotypic evolution depends on the form and prevalence of mutational pleiotropy. To investigate the nature of adaptive substitutions and their pleiotropic effects, we used a protein engineering approach to characterize the molecular basis of hemoglobin (Hb) adaptation in the high-flying bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), a hypoxia-tolerant species renowned for its trans-Himalayan migratory flights. To test the effects of observed substitutions on evolutionarily relevant genetic backgrounds, we synthesized all possible genotypic intermediates in the line of descent connecting the wildtype bar-headed goose genotype with the most recent common ancestor of bar-headed goose and its lowland relatives. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed one major-effect mutation that significantly increased Hb-O2 affinity on all possible genetic backgrounds. Two other mutations exhibited smaller average effect sizes and less additivity across backgrounds. One of the latter mutations produced a concomitant increase in the autoxidation rate, a deleterious side-effect that was fully compensated by a second-site mutation at a spatially proximal residue. The experiments revealed three key insights: (i) subtle, localized structural changes can produce large functional effects; (ii) relative effect sizes of function-altering mutations may depend on the sequential order in which they occur; and (iii) compensation of deleterious pleiotropic effects may play an important role in the adaptive evolution of protein function.
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28
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Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Frappell PB, Meir JU, Milsom WK, Natsagdorj T, Parr N, Scott GR, Takekawa JY, WikeIski M, Witt MJ, Bishop CM. Do Bar-Headed Geese Train for High Altitude Flights? Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:240-251. [PMID: 28859401 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS Exercise at high altitude is extremely challenging, largely due to hypobaric hypoxia (low oxygen levels brought about by low air pressure). In humans, the maximal rate of oxygen consumption decreases with increasing altitude, supporting progressively poorer performance. Bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) are renowned high altitude migrants and, although they appear to minimize altitude during migration where possible, they must fly over the Tibetan Plateau (mean altitude 4800 m) for much of their annual migration. This requires considerable cardiovascular effort, but no study has assessed the extent to which bar-headed geese may train prior to migration for long distances, or for high altitudes. Using implanted loggers that recorded heart rate, acceleration, pressure, and temperature, we found no evidence of training for migration in bar-headed geese. Geese showed no significant change in summed activity per day or maximal activity per day. There was also no significant change in maximum heart rate per day or minimum resting heart rate, which may be evidence of an increase in cardiac stroke volume if all other variables were to remain the same. We discuss the strategies used by bar-headed geese in the context of training undertaken by human mountaineers when preparing for high altitude, noting the differences between their respective cardiovascular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Hawkes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10?9FE, UK
| | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbataar 210351, Mongolia
| | - Patrick J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15?2TT, UK
| | - Beverley Chua
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Peter B Frappell
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | | | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | | | - Nicole Parr
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10?9FE, UK
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 3K1
| | - John Y Takekawa
- Audubon California, Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA
| | - Martin WikeIski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz D-78457, Germany
| | - Matthew J Witt
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10?9FE, UK
| | - Charles M Bishop
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57?2UW, UK
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Meier CM, Karaardıç H, Aymí R, Peev SG, Bächler E, Weber R, Witvliet W, Liechti F. What makes Alpine swift ascend at twilight? Novel geolocators reveal year-round flight behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:45. [PMID: 29568149 PMCID: PMC5847200 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Studying individual flight behaviour throughout the year is indispensable to understand the ecology of a bird species. Recent development in technology allows now to track flight behaviour of small long-distance bird migrants throughout its annual cycle. The specific flight behaviour of twilight ascents in birds has been documented in a few studies, but only during a short period of the year, and never quantified on the individual level. It has been suggested that twilight ascents might be a role in orientation and navigation. Previous studies had reported the behaviour only near the breeding site and during migration. We investigated year-round flight behaviour of 34 individual Alpine swifts (Apus melba) of four different populations in relation to twilight ascents. We recorded twilight ascents all around the year and found a twofold higher frequency in ascents during the non-breeding residence phase in Africa compared to all other phases of the year. Dawn ascents were twice as common as dusk ascents and occurred mainly when atmospheric conditions remained stable over a 24-h period. We found no conclusive support that twilight ascents are essential for recalibration of compass cues and landmarks. Data on the wing flapping intensity revealed that high activity at twilight occurred more regularly than the ascents. We therefore conclude that alpine swift generally increase flight activity—also horizontal flight—during the twilight period and we suppose that this increased flight activity, including ascents, might be part of social interactions between individuals. Significance statement Year-round flight altitude tracking with a light-weight multi-sensor tag reveals that Alpine swifts ascend several hundred meters high at twilight regularly. The reason for this behaviour remains unclear and the low-light conditions at this time of the day preclude foraging as a possibility. The frequency and altitude of twilight ascents were highest during the non-breeding period, intermediate during migration and low for active breeders during the breeding phase. We discuss our findings in the context of existing hypotheses on twilight ascent and we propose an additional hypothesis which links twilight ascent with social interaction between flock members. Our study highlights how flight behaviour of individuals of a migratory bird species can be studied even during the sparsely documented non-breeding period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph M Meier
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Karaardıç
- Elementary Science Education Department, Education Faculty, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07400 Alanya, Turkey
| | - Raül Aymí
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Strahil G Peev
- 4Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2, Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Erich Bächler
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Roger Weber
- 5Bern University of Applied Sciences Engineering and Information Technology, Jlcoweg 1, 3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland
| | - Willem Witvliet
- Willem Witvliet, Zuidersloot 16, 1741 Broek op Langedijk, HL Netherlands
| | - Felix Liechti
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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Liu D, Zhang G, Jiang H, Lu J. Detours in long-distance migration across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: individual consistency and habitat associations. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4304. [PMID: 29404213 PMCID: PMC5797451 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds often follow detours when confronted with ecological barriers, and understanding the extent and the underlying drivers of such detours can provide important insights into the associated cost to the annual energy budget and the migration strategies. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the most daunting geographical barrier for migratory birds because the partial pressure of oxygen is dramatically reduced and flight costs greatly increase. We analyzed the repeated migration detours and habitat associations of four Pallas’s Gulls Larus ichthyaetus across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over 22 migration seasons. Gulls exhibited notable detours, with the maximum distance being more than double that of the expected shortest route, that extended rather than reduced the passage across the plateau. The extent of longitudinal detours significantly increased with latitude, and detours were longer in autumn than in spring. Compared with the expected shortest routes, proximity to water bodies increased along autumn migration routes, but detour-habitat associations were weak along spring migration routes. Thus, habitat availability was likely one, but not the only, factor shaping the extent of detours, and migration routes were determined by different mechanisms between seasons. Significant between-individual variation but high individual consistency in migration timing and routes were revealed in both seasons, indicating a stronger influence of endogenous schedules than local environmental conditions. Gulls may benefit from repeated use of familiar routes and stopover sites, which may be particularly significant in the challenging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Guogang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Environment Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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31
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York JM, Scadeng M, McCracken KG, Milsom WK. Respiratory mechanics and morphology of Tibetan and Andean high-altitude geese with divergent life histories. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.170738. [PMID: 29180602 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.170738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
High-altitude bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) and Andean geese (Chloephaga melanoptera) have been shown to preferentially increase tidal volume over breathing frequency when increasing ventilation during exposure to hypoxia. Increasing tidal volume is a more effective breathing strategy but is also thought to be more mechanically and metabolically expensive. We asked whether there might be differences in the mechanics or morphology of the respiratory systems of high-altitude transient bar-headed geese and high-altitude resident Andean geese that could minimize the cost of breathing more deeply. We compared these two species with a low-altitude migratory species, the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis). We ventilated anesthetized birds to measure mechanical properties of the respiratory system and used CT scans to quantify respiratory morphology. We found that the respiratory system of Andean geese was disproportionately larger than that of the other two species, allowing use of a deeper breathing strategy for the same energetic cost. The relative size of the respiratory system, especially the caudal air sacs, of bar-headed geese was also larger than that of barnacle geese. However, when normalized to respiratory system size, the mechanical cost of breathing did not differ significantly among these three species, indicating that deeper breathing is enabled by morphological but not mechanical differences between species. The metabolic cost of breathing was estimated to be <1% of basal metabolic rate at rest in normoxia. Because of differences in the magnitude of the ventilatory response, the cost of breathing was estimated to increase 7- to 10-fold in bar-headed and barnacle geese in severe hypoxia, but less than 1-fold in Andean geese exposed to the same low atmospheric PO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M York
- University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Miriam Scadeng
- University of California San Diego, Department of Radiology, Center for Functional MRI, 9500 Gilman Drive 0677, La Jolla, CA, USA 92093
| | - Kevin G McCracken
- University of Miami, Department of Biology, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and Human Genetics and Genomics - Miller School of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - William K Milsom
- University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
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Butler PJ. The physiological basis of bird flight. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0384. [PMID: 27528774 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Flapping flight is energetically more costly than running, although it is less costly to fly a given body mass a given distance per unit time than it is for a similar mass to run the same distance per unit time. This is mainly because birds can fly faster than they can run. Oxygen transfer and transport are enhanced in migrating birds compared with those in non-migrators: at the gas-exchange regions of the lungs the effective area is greater and the diffusion distance smaller. Also, migrating birds have larger hearts and haemoglobin concentrations in the blood, and capillary density in the flight muscles tends to be higher. Species like bar-headed geese migrate at high altitudes, where the availability of oxygen is reduced and the energy cost of flapping flight increased compared with those at sea level. Physiological adaptations to these conditions include haemoglobin with a higher affinity for oxygen than that in lowland birds, a greater effective ventilation of the gas-exchange surface of the lungs and a greater capillary-to-muscle fibre ratio. Migrating birds use fatty acids as their source of energy, so they have to be transported at a sufficient rate to meet the high demand. Since fatty acids are insoluble in water, birds maintain high concentrations of fatty acid-binding proteins to transport fatty acids across the cell membrane and within the cytoplasm. The concentrations of these proteins, together with that of a key enzyme in the β-oxidation of fatty acids, increase before migration.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Nikel KE, Shanishchara NK, Ivy CM, Dawson NJ, Scott GR. Effects of hypoxia at different life stages on locomotory muscle phenotype in deer mice native to high altitudes. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 224:98-104. [PMID: 29175484 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Animals native to high altitude must overcome the constraining effects of hypoxia on tissue O2 supply to support routine metabolism, thermoregulation in the cold, and exercise. Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) native to high altitude have evolved an enhanced aerobic capacity in hypoxia, along with increased capillarity and oxidative capacity of locomotory muscle. Here, we examined whether exposure to chronic hypoxia during development or adulthood affects muscle phenotype. Deer mice from a highland population were bred in captivity at sea level, and exposed to normoxia or one of four treatments of hypobaric hypoxia (12kPa O2, simulating hypoxia at ~4300m): adult hypoxia (6-8weeks), post-natal hypoxia (birth to adulthood), pre-natal hypoxia (before conception to adulthood), and parental hypoxia (in which mice were conceived and raised in normoxia, but their parents were previously exposed to hypoxia). Litter size was similar across treatments, and pups survived the hypoxia exposures and grew to similar body masses at ~6-8months of age. Hypoxia had no effect on the masses of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. There was a strong concordance between two distinct histological methods for staining capillaries in the gastrocnemius - alkaline phosphatase activity and binding of Griffonia simplicifolia lectin I - each of which showed that capillarity and muscle fibre size were largely unaffected by hypoxia. Maximal activities of several metabolic enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase, citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase) in the gastrocnemius were also largely unaffected by hypoxia. Therefore, the evolved muscle phenotype of high-altitude deer mice is relatively insensitive to hypoxia across life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten E Nikel
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Catherine M Ivy
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Neal J Dawson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Shamoun-Baranes J, Liechti F, Vansteelant WMG. Atmospheric conditions create freeways, detours and tailbacks for migrating birds. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:509-529. [PMID: 28508130 PMCID: PMC5522504 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1181-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The extraordinary adaptations of birds to contend with atmospheric conditions during their migratory flights have captivated ecologists for decades. During the 21st century technological advances have sparked a revival of research into the influence of weather on migrating birds. Using biologging technology, flight behaviour is measured across entire flyways, weather radar networks quantify large-scale migratory fluxes, citizen scientists gather observations of migrant birds and mechanistic models are used to simulate migration in dynamic aerial environments. In this review, we first introduce the most relevant microscale, mesoscale and synoptic scale atmospheric phenomena from the point of view of a migrating bird. We then provide an overview of the individual responses of migrant birds (when, where and how to fly) in relation to these phenomena. We explore the cumulative impact of individual responses to weather during migration, and the consequences thereof for populations and migratory systems. In general, individual birds seem to have a much more flexible response to weather than previously thought, but we also note similarities in migratory behaviour across taxa. We propose various avenues for future research through which we expect to derive more fundamental insights into the influence of weather on the evolution of migratory behaviour and the life-history, population dynamics and species distributions of migrant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, 6721 NJ, Bennekom, The Netherlands
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Bio-logging, new technologies to study conservation physiology on the move: a case study on annual survival of Himalayan vultures. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:531-542. [PMID: 28612235 PMCID: PMC5522509 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1180-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Bio-logging, the on-animal deployment of miniaturised electronic data recorders, allows for the study of location, body position, and physiology of individuals throughout their ontogeny. For terrestrial animals, 1 Hz GPS-position, 3D-body acceleration, and ambient temperature provide standard data to link to the physiology of life histories. Environmental context is added at ever finer scales using remote sensing earth observation data. Here we showcase the use of such bio-logging approaches in a conservation physiology study on endangered Himalayan vultures (Gyps himalayensis). We determine environmental, behavioural, and physiological causes of survival in immature birds that roam from wintering sites in India, Bhutan, and Nepal towards summer areas in Tibet and Mongolia. Five of 18 immature griffons died during one year. Individuals that died had failed to migrate sufficiently far northward (>1500 km) in spring. Individuals likely died if they flew against headwinds from the north or were less able to find thermal updrafts. Surviving individuals migrated to cold and dry areas with low population density. We highlight flight experience, long distance movements, and remote places with low human population as factors critical for the survival of Himalayan vultures. High-resolution bio-logging studies can advance conservation management by pinpointing where and why migratory animals have problems and die.
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Actogram analysis of free-flying migratory birds: new perspectives based on acceleration logging. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:543-564. [PMID: 28343237 PMCID: PMC5522517 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of accelerometers has become an important part of biologging techniques for large-sized birds with accelerometer data providing information about flight mode, wing-beat pattern, behaviour and energy expenditure. Such data show that birds using much energy-saving soaring/gliding flight like frigatebirds and swifts can stay airborne without landing for several months. Successful accelerometer studies have recently been conducted also for free-flying small songbirds during their entire annual cycle. Here we review the principles and possibilities for accelerometer studies in bird migration. We use the first annual actograms (for red-backed shrike Lanius collurio) to explore new analyses and insights that become possible with accelerometer data. Actogram data allow precise estimates of numbers of flights, flight durations as well as departure/landing times during the annual cycle. Annual and diurnal rhythms of migratory flights, as well as prolonged nocturnal flights across desert barriers are illustrated. The shifting balance between flight, rest and different intensities of activity throughout the year as revealed by actogram data can be used to analyse exertion levels during different phases of the life cycle. Accelerometer recording of the annual activity patterns of individual birds will open up a new dimension in bird migration research.
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Crossley DA, Burggren WW, Reiber CL, Altimiras J, Rodnick KJ. Mass Transport: Circulatory System with Emphasis on Nonendothermic Species. Compr Physiol 2016; 7:17-66. [PMID: 28134997 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mass transport can be generally defined as movement of material matter. The circulatory system then is a biological example given its role in the movement in transporting gases, nutrients, wastes, and chemical signals. Comparative physiology has a long history of providing new insights and advancing our understanding of circulatory mass transport across a wide array of circulatory systems. Here we focus on circulatory function of nonmodel species. Invertebrates possess diverse convection systems; that at the most complex generate pressures and perform at a level comparable to vertebrates. Many invertebrates actively modulate cardiovascular function using neuronal, neurohormonal, and skeletal muscle activity. In vertebrates, our understanding of cardiac morphology, cardiomyocyte function, and contractile protein regulation by Ca2+ highlights a high degree of conservation, but differences between species exist and are coupled to variable environments and body temperatures. Key regulators of vertebrate cardiac function and systemic blood pressure include the autonomic nervous system, hormones, and ventricular filling. Further chemical factors regulating cardiovascular function include adenosine, natriuretic peptides, arginine vasotocin, endothelin 1, bradykinin, histamine, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide, to name but a few. Diverse vascular morphologies and the regulation of blood flow in the coronary and cerebral circulations are also apparent in nonmammalian species. Dynamic adjustments of cardiovascular function are associated with exercise on land, flying at high altitude, prolonged dives by marine mammals, and unique morphology, such as the giraffe. Future studies should address limits of gas exchange and convective transport, the evolution of high arterial pressure across diverse taxa, and the importance of the cardiovascular system adaptations to extreme environments. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:17-66, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane A Crossley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Warren W Burggren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Carl L Reiber
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Jordi Altimiras
- AVIAN Behavioral Genomics and Physiology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kenneth J Rodnick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
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Dawson NJ, Ivy CM, Alza L, Cheek R, York JM, Chua B, Milsom WK, McCracken KG, Scott GR. Mitochondrial physiology in the skeletal and cardiac muscles is altered in torrent ducks, Merganetta armata, from high altitudes in the Andes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3719-3728. [PMID: 27618861 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Torrent ducks inhabit fast-flowing rivers in the Andes from sea level to altitudes up to 4500 m. We examined the mitochondrial physiology that facilitates performance over this altitudinal cline by comparing the respiratory capacities of permeabilized fibers, the activities of 16 key metabolic enzymes and the myoglobin content in muscles between high- and low-altitude populations of this species. Mitochondrial respiratory capacities (assessed using substrates of mitochondrial complexes I, II and/or IV) were higher in highland ducks in the gastrocnemius muscle - the primary muscle used to support swimming and diving - but were similar between populations in the pectoralis muscle and the left ventricle. The heightened respiratory capacity in the gastrocnemius of highland ducks was associated with elevated activities of cytochrome oxidase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and malate dehydrogenase (MDH). Although respiratory capacities were similar between populations in the other muscles, highland ducks had elevated activities of ATP synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, MDH, hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase and creatine kinase in the left ventricle, and elevated MDH activity and myoglobin content in the pectoralis. Thus, although there was a significant increase in the oxidative capacity of the gastrocnemius in highland ducks, which correlates with improved performance at high altitudes, the variation in metabolic enzyme activities in other muscles not correlated to respiratory capacity, such as the consistent upregulation of MDH activity, may serve other functions that contribute to success at high altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal J Dawson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada .,Department of Biology and Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - Catherine M Ivy
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Luis Alza
- Department of Biology and Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology and University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.,Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad - CORBIDI, Lima 33, Peru
| | - Rebecca Cheek
- Institute of Arctic Biology and University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Julia M York
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Beverly Chua
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Kevin G McCracken
- Department of Biology and Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology and University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
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39
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Halsey LG. Do animals exercise to keep fit? J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:614-20. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G. Halsey
- University of Roehampton Holybourne Avenue London SW15 4JD UK
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40
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Scott GR, Hawkes LA, Frappell PB, Butler PJ, Bishop CM, Milsom WK. How bar-headed geese fly over the Himalayas. Physiology (Bethesda) 2015; 30:107-15. [PMID: 25729056 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00050.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bar-headed geese cross the Himalayas on one of the most iconic high-altitude migrations in the world. Heart rates and metabolic costs of flight increase with elevation and can be near maximal during steep climbs. Their ability to sustain the high oxygen demands of flight in air that is exceedingly oxygen-thin depends on the unique cardiorespiratory physiology of birds in general along with several evolved specializations across the O2 transport cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;
| | - Lucy A Hawkes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Peter B Frappell
- Office of Dean of Graduate Research, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Patrick J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Charles M Bishop
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom; and
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Bridge ES, Kelly JF, Xiao X, Batbayar N, Natsagdorj T, Hill NJ, Takekawa JY, Hawkes LA, Bishop CM, Butler PJ, Newman SH. Stable Isotopes Suggest Low Site Fidelity in Bar-headed Geese ( Anser indicus) in Mongolia: Implications for Disease Transmission. WATERBIRDS 2015; 38:123-132. [PMID: 27695389 PMCID: PMC5042147 DOI: 10.1675/063.038.0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Population connectivity is an important consideration in studies of disease transmission and biological conservation, especially with regard to migratory species. Determining how and when different subpopulations intermingle during different phases of the annual cycle can help identify important geographical regions or features as targets for conservation efforts and can help inform our understanding of continental-scale disease transmission. In this study, stable isotopes of hydrogen and carbon in contour feathers were used to assess the degree of molt-site fidelity among Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) captured in north-central Mongolia. Samples were collected from actively molting Bar-headed Geese (n = 61), and some individual samples included both a newly grown feather (still in sheath) and an old, worn feather from the bird's previous molt (n = 21). Although there was no difference in mean hydrogen isotope ratios for the old and new feathers, the isotopic variance in old feathers was approximately three times higher than that of the new feathers, which suggests that these birds use different and geographically distant molting locations from year to year. To further test this conclusion, online data and modeling tools from the isoMAP website were used to generate probability landscapes for the origin of each feather. Likely molting locations were much more widespread for old feathers than for new feathers, which supports the prospect of low molt-site fidelity. This finding indicates that population connectivity would be greater than expected based on data from a single annual cycle, and that disease spread can be rapid even in areas like Mongolia where Bar-headed Geese generally breed in small isolated groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S. Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, 111 East Chesapeake Street, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Jeffrey F. Kelly
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, 111 East Chesapeake Street, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Xiangming Xiao
- Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L. Boren Boulevard, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, 136 George Lynn Cross Hall, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA
| | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Undram Plaza, 33 toot, Bayanzurkh Duureg, Ulaanbaatar, 210349, Mongolia
| | - Tseveenmyadag Natsagdorj
- Ornithological Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Jukov Avenue, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
| | - Nichola J. Hill
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building 16-719, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
| | - John Y. Takekawa
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 505 Azuar Drive, Vallejo, California, 94592, USA
| | - Lucy A. Hawkes
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, England, U.K
| | - Charles M. Bishop
- Bangor University, School of Biosciences, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, England, U.K
| | - Patrick J. Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England, U.K
| | - Scott H. Newman
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, No. 3 Nguyen Gia Thieu Street, Hanoi, Viet Nam
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Dzal YA, Jenkin SEM, Lague SL, Reichert MN, York JM, Pamenter ME. Oxygen in demand: How oxygen has shaped vertebrate physiology. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2015; 186:4-26. [PMID: 25698654 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In response to varying environmental and physiological challenges, vertebrates have evolved complex and often overlapping systems. These systems detect changes in environmental oxygen availability and respond by increasing oxygen supply to the tissues and/or by decreasing oxygen demand at the cellular level. This suite of responses is termed the oxygen transport cascade and is comprised of several components. These components include 1) chemosensory detectors that sense changes in oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH in the blood, and initiate changes in 2) ventilation and 3) cardiac work, thereby altering the rate of oxygen delivery to, and carbon dioxide clearance from, the tissues. In addition, changes in 4) cellular and systemic metabolism alters tissue-level metabolic demand. Thus the need for oxygen can be managed locally when increasing oxygen supply is not sufficient or possible. Together, these mechanisms provide a spectrum of responses that facilitate the maintenance of systemic oxygen homeostasis in the face of environmental hypoxia or physiological oxygen depletion (i.e. due to exercise or disease). Bill Milsom has dedicated his career to the study of these responses across phylogenies, repeatedly demonstrating the power of applying the comparative approach to physiological questions. The focus of this review is to discuss the anatomy, signalling pathways, and mechanics of each step of the oxygen transport cascade from the perspective of a Milsomite. That is, by taking into account the developmental, physiological, and evolutionary components of questions related to oxygen transport. We also highlight examples of some of the remarkable species that have captured Bill's attention through their unique adaptations in multiple components of the oxygen transport cascade, which allow them to achieve astounding physiological feats. Bill's research examining the oxygen transport cascade has provided important insight and leadership to the study of the diverse suite of adaptations that maintain cellular oxygen content across vertebrate taxa, which underscores the value of the comparative approach to the study of physiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne A Dzal
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sarah E M Jenkin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sabine L Lague
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Michelle N Reichert
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Julia M York
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Matthew E Pamenter
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Bishop CM, Spivey RJ, Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Chua B, Frappell PB, Milsom WK, Natsagdorj T, Newman SH, Scott GR, Takekawa JY, Wikelski M, Butler PJ. The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. Science 2015; 347:250-4. [PMID: 25593180 DOI: 10.1126/science.1258732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The physiological and biomechanical requirements of flight at high altitude have been the subject of much interest. Here, we uncover a steep relation between heart rate and wingbeat frequency (raised to the exponent 3.5) and estimated metabolic power and wingbeat frequency (exponent 7) of migratory bar-headed geese. Flight costs increase more rapidly than anticipated as air density declines, which overturns prevailing expectations that this species should maintain high-altitude flight when traversing the Himalayas. Instead, a "roller coaster" strategy, of tracking the underlying terrain and discarding large altitude gains only to recoup them later in the flight with occasional benefits from orographic lift, is shown to be energetically advantageous for flights over the Himalayas.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Bishop
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - R J Spivey
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - L A Hawkes
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK.
| | - N Batbayar
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbataar, Mongolia
| | - B Chua
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - P B Frappell
- Office of the Dean of Graduate Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - W K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - T Natsagdorj
- Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbataar, Mongolia
| | - S H Newman
- Emergency Prevention System(EMPRES) Wildlife and Ecology Unit, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy
| | - G R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Ontario, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Y Takekawa
- San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, Western Ecological Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Vallejo, CA 94592 USA
| | - M Wikelski
- Max Planck Institüt für Ornithologie, Radolfzell, Germany. Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - P J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Ivy CM, Scott GR. Control of breathing and the circulation in high-altitude mammals and birds. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2014; 186:66-74. [PMID: 25446936 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia is an unremitting stressor at high altitudes that places a premium on oxygen transport by the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Phenotypic plasticity and genotypic adaptation at various steps in the O2 cascade could help offset the effects of hypoxia on cellular O2 supply in high-altitude natives. In this review, we will discuss the unique mechanisms by which ventilation, cardiac output, and blood flow are controlled in high-altitude mammals and birds. Acclimatization to high altitudes leads to some changes in respiratory and cardiovascular control that increase O2 transport in hypoxia (e.g., ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia). However, acclimatization or development in hypoxia can also modify cardiorespiratory control in ways that are maladaptive for O2 transport. Hypoxia responses that arose as short-term solutions to O2 deprivation (e.g., peripheral vasoconstriction) or regional variation in O2 levels in the lungs (i.e., hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction) are detrimental at in chronic high-altitude hypoxia. Evolved changes in cardiorespiratory control have arisen in many high-altitude taxa, including increases in effective ventilation, attenuation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, and changes in catecholamine sensitivity of the heart and systemic vasculature. Parallel evolution of some of these changes in independent highland lineages supports their adaptive significance. Much less is known about the genomic bases and potential interactive effects of adaptation, acclimatization, developmental plasticity, and trans-generational epigenetic transfer on cardiorespiratory control. Future work to understand these various influences on breathing and circulation in high-altitude natives will help elucidate how complex physiological systems can be pushed to their limits to maintain cellular function in hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Ivy
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Migration is widespread across taxa and highly variable both within and among groups. There have been multiple efforts to synthesize migratory theory across groups and these frameworks benefit from the inclusion of diverse taxa. The objective of this partial series of the Canadian Journal of Zoology was to highlight taxonomic diversity in migration by featuring reviews of the current state of migration research in a range of taxa (freshwater fishes, mammals, and amphibians). This series provides an opportunity to compare and contrast the biology of migration among multiple taxa. The reviews include discussions of migration at both the individual and population levels, focusing on a range of topics including the evolution of migration, behavioural and physiological adaptations for migration, consequences of migration, and methods for modelling animal movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam P. McGuire
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Erin E. Fraser
- Environmental Science (Biology), Memorial University of Newfoundland – Grenfell Campus, 20 University Drive, Corner Brook, NL A2H 5G4, Canada
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Hawkes LA, Butler PJ, Frappell PB, Meir JU, Milsom WK, Scott GR, Bishop CM. Maximum running speed of captive bar-headed geese is unaffected by severe hypoxia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94015. [PMID: 24710001 PMCID: PMC3977980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While bar-headed geese are renowned for migration at high altitude over the Himalayas, previous work on captive birds suggested that these geese are unable to maintain rates of oxygen consumption while running in severely hypoxic conditions. To investigate this paradox, we re-examined the running performance and heart rates of bar-headed geese and barnacle geese (a low altitude species) during exercise in hypoxia. Bar-headed geese (n = 7) were able to run at maximum speeds (determined in normoxia) for 15 minutes in severe hypoxia (7% O2; simulating the hypoxia at 8500 m) with mean heart rates of 466±8 beats min−1. Barnacle geese (n = 10), on the other hand, were unable to complete similar trials in severe hypoxia and their mean heart rate (316 beats.min−1) was significantly lower than bar-headed geese. In bar-headed geese, partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in both arterial and mixed venous blood were significantly lower during hypoxia than normoxia, both at rest and while running. However, measurements of blood lactate in bar-headed geese suggested that anaerobic metabolism was not a major energy source during running in hypoxia. We combined these data with values taken from the literature to estimate (i) oxygen supply, using the Fick equation and (ii) oxygen demand using aerodynamic theory for bar-headed geese flying aerobically, and under their own power, at altitude. This analysis predicts that the maximum altitude at which geese can transport enough oxygen to fly without environmental assistance ranges from 6,800 m to 8,900 m altitude, depending on the parameters used in the model but that such flights should be rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A. Hawkes
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
- University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Patrick J. Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jessica U. Meir
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - William K. Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Graham R. Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles M. Bishop
- University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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Spivey RJ, Bishop CM. An implantable instrument for studying the long-term flight biology of migratory birds. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014; 85:014301. [PMID: 24517787 DOI: 10.1063/1.4854635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The design of an instrument deployed in a project studying the high altitude Himalayan migrations of bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) is described. The electronics of this archival datalogger measured 22 × 14 × 6.5 mm, weighed 3 g, was powered by a ½AA-sized battery weighing 10 g and housed in a transparent biocompatible tube sealed with titanium electrodes for electrocardiography (ECG). The combined weight of 32 g represented less than 2% of the typical bodyweight of the geese. The primary tasks of the instrument were to continuously record a digitised ECG signal for heart-rate determination and store 12-bit triaxial accelerations sampled at 100 Hz with 15% coverage over each 2 min period. Measurement of atmospheric pressure provided an indication of altitude and rate of ascent or descent during flight. Geomagnetic field readings allowed for latitude estimation. These parameters were logged twice per minute along with body temperature. Data were stored to a memory card of 8 GB capacity. Instruments were implanted in geese captured on Mongolian lakes during the breeding season when the birds are temporarily flightless due to moulting. The goal was to collect data over a ten month period, covering both southward and northward migrations. This imposed extreme constraints on the design's power consumption. Raw ECG can be post-processed to obtain heart-rate, allowing improved rejection of signal interference due to strenuous activity of locomotory muscles during flight. Accelerometry can be used to monitor wing-beat frequency and body kinematics, and since the geese continued to flap their wings continuously even during rather steep descents, act as a proxy for biomechanical power. The instrument enables detailed investigation of the challenges faced by the geese during these arduous migrations which typically involve flying at extreme altitudes through cold, low density air where oxygen availability is significantly reduced compared to sea level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Spivey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - Charles M Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
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Dodge S, Bohrer G, Weinzierl R, Davidson SC, Kays R, Douglas D, Cruz S, Han J, Brandes D, Wikelski M. The environmental-data automated track annotation (Env-DATA) system: linking animal tracks with environmental data. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2013; 1:3. [PMID: 25709817 PMCID: PMC4337772 DOI: 10.1186/2051-3933-1-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The movement of animals is strongly influenced by external factors in their surrounding environment such as weather, habitat types, and human land use. With advances in positioning and sensor technologies, it is now possible to capture animal locations at high spatial and temporal granularities. Likewise, scientists have an increasing access to large volumes of environmental data. Environmental data are heterogeneous in source and format, and are usually obtained at different spatiotemporal scales than movement data. Indeed, there remain scientific and technical challenges in developing linkages between the growing collections of animal movement data and the large repositories of heterogeneous remote sensing observations, as well as in the developments of new statistical and computational methods for the analysis of movement in its environmental context. These challenges include retrieval, indexing, efficient storage, data integration, and analytical techniques. RESULTS This paper contributes to movement ecology research by presenting a new publicly available system, Environmental-Data Automated Track Annotation (Env-DATA), that automates annotation of movement trajectories with ambient atmospheric observations and underlying landscape information. Env-DATA provides a free and easy-to-use platform that eliminates technical difficulties of the annotation processes and relieves end users of a ton of tedious and time-consuming tasks associated with annotation, including data acquisition, data transformation and integration, resampling, and interpolation. The system is illustrated with a case study of Galapagos Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) tracks and their relationship to wind, ocean productivity and chlorophyll concentration. Our case study illustrates why adult albatrosses make long-range trips to preferred, productive areas and how wind assistance facilitates their return flights while their outbound flights are hampered by head winds. CONCLUSIONS The new Env-DATA system enhances Movebank, an open portal of animal tracking data, by automating access to environmental variables from global remote sensing, weather, and ecosystem products from open web resources. The system provides several interpolation methods from the native grid resolution and structure to a global regular grid linked with the movement tracks in space and time. The aim is to facilitate new understanding and predictive capabilities of spatiotemporal patterns of animal movement in response to dynamic and changing environments from local to global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rolf Weinzierl
- />Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sarah C Davidson
- />Lafayette College, Easton, USA
- />Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roland Kays
- />NC Museum of Natural Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - David Douglas
- />U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Juneau, USA
| | - Sebastian Cruz
- />Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jiawei Han
- />University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- />Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Meir JU, Milsom WK. High thermal sensitivity of blood enhances oxygen delivery in the high-flying bar-headed goose. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:2172-5. [PMID: 23470665 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.085282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) crosses the Himalaya twice a year at altitudes where oxygen (O2) levels are less than half those at sea level and temperatures are below -20°C. Although it has been known for over three decades that the major hemoglobin (Hb) component of bar-headed geese has an increased affinity for O2, enhancing O2 uptake, the effects of temperature and interactions between temperature and pH on bar-headed goose Hb-O2 affinity have not previously been determined. An increase in breathing of the hypoxic and extremely cold air experienced by a bar-headed goose at altitude (due to the enhanced hypoxic ventilatory response in this species) could result in both reduced temperature and reduced levels of CO2 at the blood-gas interface in the lungs, enhancing O2 loading. In addition, given the strenuous nature of flapping flight, particularly in thin air, blood leaving the exercising muscle should be warm and acidotic, facilitating O2 unloading. To explore the possibility that features of blood biochemistry in this species could further enhance O2 delivery, we determined the P50 (the partial pressure of O2 at which Hb is 50% saturated) of whole blood from bar-headed geese under conditions of varying temperature and [CO2]. We found that blood-O2 affinity was highly temperature sensitive in bar-headed geese compared with other birds and mammals. Based on our analysis, temperature and pH effects acting on blood-O2 affinity (cold alkalotic lungs and warm acidotic muscle) could increase O2 delivery by twofold during sustained flapping flight at high altitudes compared with what would be delivered by blood at constant temperature and pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica U Meir
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4.
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