Category: animal physiological ecology

animal physiological ecology

Dietary restriction extends lifespan across different temperatures in the fruit fly

Eleanor J Phillips, Mirre J P Simons This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Restricting food intake extends lifespan across species, termed dietary restriction. Despite a lot of research into the physiology of dietary restriction, we have not fully pinpointed the underlying mechanisms nor the precise components of the diet responsible. Moreover, we still do … Continue reading Dietary restriction extends lifespan across different temperatures in the fruit fly

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animal physiological ecology

Hotter temperatures imperil insect reproduction more than insect survival

Noah T. Leith, Em A. Miller, Kasey D. Fowler-Finn This is a Plain Language Summary of a Functional Ecology resarch article which can be found here. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events increasingly threaten animal populations around the world. Behavioral thermoregulation, where animals seek out suitable temperatures available in their environment, is often necessary to facilitate survival in the face of climate extremes. Yet, assessing … Continue reading Hotter temperatures imperil insect reproduction more than insect survival

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animal physiological ecology

How food availability drives the physiological relationship between body part regeneration and reproduction in a common freshwater worm

Corey W. Rennolds, Alexandra E. Bely This is a plain language summary for a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. All organisms must make “choices” regarding how to use their limited energy and raw materials. If an organism invests a certain amount of resources into growing a body part, for example, this necessarily leaves fewer resources to invest in other biological processes, … Continue reading How food availability drives the physiological relationship between body part regeneration and reproduction in a common freshwater worm

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animal physiological ecology

How much energy it takes to fight a pathogen depends on whether you win or lose

Matthew D. Hall, Ben L. Phillips, Craig R. White, and Dustin J. Marshall This is a plain language summary for a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. When attacked by a virus or bacteria, our body is predicted to use more energy to try and fight infection and repair any damage. To keep up, our bodies are predicted to work harder. Across … Continue reading How much energy it takes to fight a pathogen depends on whether you win or lose

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animal physiological ecology

Being hot is good for lizards, but not all the time

Mitchell J. Hodgson, Lisa E. Schwanz This is a plain language summary for a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The ability to adjust physiology is a crucial factor in how organisms respond to new temperature conditions. Much of our understanding of the physiological effects of this process, called acclimation, primarily comes from controlled laboratory studies. These studies often use simplified thermal … Continue reading Being hot is good for lizards, but not all the time

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animal physiological ecology

Effects of leaf litter traits on terrestrial isopod and millipede consumption, assimilation and growth

Weng Ngai Lam, Eleanor M. Slade, David A. Wardle This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Invertebrates perform many vital services to the ecosystem, such as consuming dead leaves on the forest floor, which recycles nutrients found within such leaves. Isopods (also known as woodlice) and millipedes are two groups of invertebrates known to consume … Continue reading Effects of leaf litter traits on terrestrial isopod and millipede consumption, assimilation and growth

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animal physiological ecology

Monkeys hedge their bets when making babies

Richard McFarland, S Peter Henzi, Andrea Fuller, Robyn S Hetem, Christopher Young, Louise Barrett This is a plain language summary for a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Although you might expect a mother to do everything she can to look after her unborn baby, monkey mothers don’t always put their babies first. When times are tough, mothers need to look after … Continue reading Monkeys hedge their bets when making babies

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animal physiological ecology

Just like our lungs, the gills of fish can provide them with the levels of oxygen for what they require

Michael R. Skeeles, Timothy D. Clark This is a plain language summary for a research article which can be found here. Many fish species are ‘shrinking’ as the climate warms and we don’t actually know why. A popular hypothesis that seeks to explain these trends suggests that the gill surface area of fish, the site where oxygen is extracted from the water, is a two-dimensional … Continue reading Just like our lungs, the gills of fish can provide them with the levels of oxygen for what they require

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animal physiological ecology

Is body size really a good measure of juvenile fitness?

Joshua M. Allen, Brett L. Hodinka, Hannah M. Hall, Kathryn M. Leonard, Raven A. Barbera, Genavieve C. Desjardin, Tony D. Williams This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Whether bigger means ‘better’ is a long-standing question in evolutionary biology, where ‘better’ usually refers to individuals benefiting from increased survival or reproductive success (i.e., improved fitness). … Continue reading Is body size really a good measure of juvenile fitness?

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animal physiological ecology

Physiological evidence of hybrid vigor in tiger salamanders: Hybrids are more efficient at breathing than parental lineages

Isabella J. Burger, Evin T. Carter, Lexie M. Magner, Martha M. Muñoz, Michael W. Sears, Benjamin M. Fitzpatrick, Eric A. Riddell This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Hybridization between different species can positively or negatively affect biodiversity. Hybrids can increase genetic diversity in populations, leading to a higher potential for adaptation in changing environmental … Continue reading Physiological evidence of hybrid vigor in tiger salamanders: Hybrids are more efficient at breathing than parental lineages

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