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Gilmour KM, Daley MA, Egginton S, Kelber A, McHenry MJ, Patek SN, Sane SP, Schulte PM, Terblanche JS, Wright PA, Franklin CE. Through the looking glass: attempting to predict future opportunities and challenges in experimental biology. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246921. [PMID: 38059428 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
To celebrate its centenary year, Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB) commissioned a collection of articles examining the past, present and future of experimental biology. This Commentary closes the collection by considering the important research opportunities and challenges that await us in the future. We expect that researchers will harness the power of technological advances, such as '-omics' and gene editing, to probe resistance and resilience to environmental change as well as other organismal responses. The capacity to handle large data sets will allow high-resolution data to be collected for individual animals and to understand population, species and community responses. The availability of large data sets will also place greater emphasis on approaches such as modeling and simulations. Finally, the increasing sophistication of biologgers will allow more comprehensive data to be collected for individual animals in the wild. Collectively, these approaches will provide an unprecedented understanding of 'how animals work' as well as keys to safeguarding animals at a time when anthropogenic activities are degrading the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica A Daley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Stuart Egginton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Matthew J McHenry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sheila N Patek
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Sanjay P Sane
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India
| | - Patricia M Schulte
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - John S Terblanche
- Center for Invasion Biology, Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Patricia A Wright
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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2
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Pu Z, Guo Y. Autumn migration of black-necked crane ( Grus nigricollis) on the Qinghai-Tibetan and Yunnan-Guizhou plateaus. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10492. [PMID: 37693936 PMCID: PMC10485337 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite previous research efforts, the majority migration routes of the black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) have remained veiled. In this study, we utilized satellite telemetry data from 45 cranes between 2015 and 2021 to unveil critical insights. Our results revealed 11 distinct autumn migration routes and one sedentary flock, of which eight routes and the sedentary flock were previously undocumented. Our findings highlighted the remarkable diversity in the migration routes of black-necked cranes, especially in terms of migration orientations, spatial-temporal patterns, and altitudinal movement patterns. Cranes breeding on the eastern, northern, and central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau migrated southward, while those on the northern slopes of the Himalayas migrated eastward, westward, northward, or opted to remain sedentary. Moreover, we expanded the known range of migration distances to 84-1520 km at both ends (excluding sedentary individuals) and identified two long-term (Da Qaidam and Chaka) and one short-term (Gyatong grassland) stopover sites. Furthermore, our study revealed that the breeding colonies in the Qilian Mountains on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau utilized long-term stopover sites before embarking on significant altitude ascent, while other flocks displayed more urgent migration patterns, preferring to roost only at night. By unveiling the near-complete autumn migration routes of black-necked cranes, our research has contributed to discovering the critical habitats and connectivity among various breeding colonies, which is instrumental in developing effective seasonal conservation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Pu
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yumin Guo
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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Swanson DL, Vézina F, McKechnie AE, Nord A. Editorial: Avian behavioral and physiological responses to challenging thermal environments and extreme weather events. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1034659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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4
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Dong S, Xu S, Zhang J, Hussain R, Lu H, Ye Y, Mehmood K, Zhang H, Shang P. First Report of Fecal Microflora of Wild Bar-Headed Goose in Tibet Plateau. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:791461. [PMID: 35083306 PMCID: PMC8785396 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.791461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) has two black spots on its head. It is considered an important bird in China. It breeds in plateau lakes, especially saltwater lakes, and swamp areas. However, the intestinal flora of wild bar-headed geese in the Tibet Autonomous Region is currently not known. In this study, 16S rDNA sequencing was performed on the intestinal microbes of wild bar-headed geese. A total of 513,505 reads of raw data were obtained, and the results analyzed the average number of 128,376 ± 2,392 reads per sample. The microbiota of all samples consists of 10 main bacterial phyla, including Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Patescibacteria, Deferribacteres, Planctomy-cetes, Fusobacteria, and Tenericutes. The results indicated that Firmicutes (67.34%) was the predominant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria (29.03%) and Cyanobacteria (1.97%). In our research, we identified the intestinal flora of the wild bar-headed goose, which provides valuable information for further research on the gene function of the bar-headed goose and the intestinal flora of wild animals. These findings are also useful and valuable for genetic and high-altitude research in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixiong Dong
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
| | - Shijun Xu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
| | - Riaz Hussain
- Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Hong Lu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
| | - Yourong Ye
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
| | - Khalid Mehmood
- Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Hui Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Shang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, China
- The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R & D, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Linzhi, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Shang
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Harrison XA. A brief introduction to the analysis of time-series data from biologging studies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200227. [PMID: 34176325 PMCID: PMC8237163 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in tagging and biologging technology have yielded unprecedented insights into wild animal physiology. However, time-series data from such wild tracking studies present numerous analytical challenges owing to their unique nature, often exhibiting strong autocorrelation within and among samples, low samples sizes and complicated random effect structures. Gleaning robust quantitative estimates from these physiological data, and, therefore, accurate insights into the life histories of the animals they pertain to, requires careful and thoughtful application of existing statistical tools. Using a combination of both simulated and real datasets, I highlight the key pitfalls associated with analysing physiological data from wild monitoring studies, and investigate issues of optimal study design, statistical power, and model precision and accuracy. I also recommend best practice approaches for dealing with their inherent limitations. This work will provide a concise, accessible roadmap for researchers looking to maximize the yield of information from complex and hard-won biologging datasets. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier A. Harrison
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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6
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Hawkes LA, Fahlman A, Sato K. What is physiologging? Introduction to the theme issue, part 2. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210028. [PMID: 34176329 PMCID: PMC8237167 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The physiological mechanisms by which animals regulate energy expenditure, respond to stimuli and stressors, and maintain homeostasis at the tissue, organ and whole organism levels can be described by 'physiologging'-that is, the use of onboard miniature electronic devices to record physiological metrics of animals in captivity or free-living in the wild. Despite its origins in the 1960s, physiologging has evolved more slowly than its umbrella field of biologging. However, the recording of physiological metrics in free-living animals will be key to solving some of the greatest challenges in biodiversity conservation, issues pertaining to animal health and welfare, and for inspiring future therapeutic strategies for human health. Current physiologging technologies encompass the measurement of physiological variables such as heart rate, brain activity, body temperature, muscle stimulation and dynamic movement, yet future developments will allow for onboard logging of metrics relating to organelle, molecular and genetic function. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. A. Hawkes
- University of Exeter, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - A. Fahlman
- Global Diving Research Inc. Ottawa ON K2J 5E8, USA
| | - K. Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture 277-8564, Japan
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Linek N, Volkmer T, Shipley JR, Twining CW, Zúñiga D, Wikelski M, Partecke J. A songbird adjusts its heart rate and body temperature in response to season and fluctuating daily conditions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200213. [PMID: 34121457 PMCID: PMC8200648 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0213] [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: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In a seasonal world, organisms are continuously adjusting physiological processes relative to local environmental conditions. Owing to their limited heat and fat storage capacities, small animals, such as songbirds, must rapidly modulate their metabolism in response to weather extremes and changing seasons to ensure survival. As a consequence of previous technical limitations, most of our existing knowledge about how animals respond to changing environmental conditions comes from laboratory studies or field studies over short temporal scales. Here, we expanded beyond previous studies by outfitting 71 free-ranging Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) with novel heart rate and body temperature loggers coupled with radio transmitters, and followed individuals in the wild from autumn to spring. Across seasons, blackbirds thermoconformed at night, i.e. their body temperature decreased with decreasing ambient temperature, but not so during daytime. By contrast, during all seasons blackbirds increased their heart rate when ambient temperatures became colder. However, the temperature setpoint at which heart rate was increased differed between seasons and between day and night. In our study, blackbirds showed an overall seasonal reduction in mean heart rate of 108 beats min-1 (21%) as well as a 1.2°C decrease in nighttime body temperature. Episodes of hypometabolism during cold periods likely allow the birds to save energy and, thus, help offset the increased energetic costs during the winter when also confronted with lower resource availability. Our data highlight that, similar to larger non-hibernating mammals and birds, small passerine birds such as Eurasian blackbirds not only adjust their heart rate and body temperature on daily timescales, but also exhibit pronounced seasonal changes in both that are modulated by local environmental conditions such as temperature. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Linek
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tamara Volkmer
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - J Ryan Shipley
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Cornelia W Twining
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Daniel Zúñiga
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jesko Partecke
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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8
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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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9
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Stager M, Senner NR, Tobalske BW, Cheviron ZA. Body temperature maintenance acclimates in a winter-tenacious songbird. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb221853. [PMID: 32376710 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.221853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Flexibility in heat generation and dissipation mechanisms provides endotherms the ability to match their thermoregulatory strategy with external demands. However, the degree to which these two mechanisms account for seasonal changes in body temperature regulation is little explored. Here, we present novel data on the regulation of avian body temperature to investigate how birds alter mechanisms of heat production and heat conservation to deal with variation in ambient conditions. We subjected dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) to chronic cold acclimations of varying duration and subsequently quantified their metabolic rates, thermal conductance and ability to maintain normothermia. Cold-acclimated birds adjusted traits related to both heat generation (increased summit metabolic rate) and heat conservation (decreased conductance) to improve their body temperature regulation. Increases in summit metabolic rate occurred rapidly, but plateaued after 1 week of cold exposure. In contrast, changes to conductance occurred only after 9 weeks of cold exposure. Thus, the ability to maintain body temperature continued to improve throughout the experiment, but the mechanisms underlying this improvement changed through time. Our results demonstrate the ability of birds to adjust thermoregulatory strategies in response to thermal cues and reveal that birds may combine multiple responses to meet the specific demands of their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stager
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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