Tag: animal physiological ecology

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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animal physiological ecology

You are not always what you eat – strong environmental control on cold-water coral biochemistry

Marlene Wall, Kristina K. Beck, Nur Garcia-Herrera, Gertraud M. Schmidt-Grieb, Jürgen Laudien, Juan Höfer, Günter Försterra, Christoph Held, Gernot Nehrke, Juan Pablo Espinoza, Matthias Woll, Martin Graeve, Claudio Richter This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Cold-water corals are the main ecosystem engineers in the deep sea shaping unique reef habitats for a diverse and … Continue reading You are not always what you eat – strong environmental control on cold-water coral biochemistry

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animal physiological ecology

Winter mortality and lack of rapid evolution shapes a climate change-driven butterfly range expansion

Mats Ittonen, Kevin T. Roberts, Philipp Lehmann, Karl Gotthard This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Climate change makes new areas habitable (and some old areas uninhabitable) for species. But what really determines where new populations can establish? And can evolution facilitate shifts in a species’ geographical range? We studied Swedish populations of the northward-expanding … Continue reading Winter mortality and lack of rapid evolution shapes a climate change-driven butterfly range expansion

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animal physiological ecology

Fluctuating temperatures increase energy expenditure during embryonic development in wall lizards

Amanda K. Pettersen, Andreas Nord, Geoffrey M. While, Tobias Uller This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. All animals undergo embryonic development from a single fertilised egg to a feeding juvenile, which is an energetically expensive period of life, and can be a bottleneck for survival. During this early development, embryos are non-feeding and rely … Continue reading Fluctuating temperatures increase energy expenditure during embryonic development in wall lizards

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animal physiological ecology

Convergent remodeling of the gut microbiome is associated with host energetic condition over long-distance migration

Brian K. Trevelline, Daniel Sprockett, William V. DeLuca, Catherine R. Andreadis, Andrew H. Moeller, Christopher M. Tonra This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The microbial communities of the intestinal tract, known as the gut microbiome, can profoundly influence animal traits. Animals faced with extreme physiological challenges are ideal natural models for investigating microbiome-mediated host … Continue reading Convergent remodeling of the gut microbiome is associated with host energetic condition over long-distance migration

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animal physiological ecology

Should a flying desert bee keep cool or keep hydrated?

Meredith G. Johnson, Kaitlyn Alvarez, Jon F. Harrison This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. If you were running a footrace in the desert, you would sweat in an effort to keep your body temperature low. But, what would stop you from winning the race: overheating or dehydration? Of course, these two factors are linked … Continue reading Should a flying desert bee keep cool or keep hydrated?

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animal physiological ecology

Breeding under pressure: Hormonal response of a long-lived bird to increasing predation risk

Bertille Mohring, Markus Öst, Kim Jaatinen, Charline Parenteau, Emmanuelle Grimaud, Frédéric Angelier This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Wild birds often suffer important costs when breeding. This is because, on the one hand, engaging in reproduction is often associated with high energetic requirements. On the other hand, the risk of predation on parents, their … Continue reading Breeding under pressure: Hormonal response of a long-lived bird to increasing predation risk

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animal physiological ecology

Cutworms dig deep and suppress their metabolic rates to save energy during dormancy

Kurtis F. Turnbull, Jeremy N. McNeil, Brent J. Sinclair This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Some insects spend most of their lives dormant and underground – in temperate regions they might not eat between early autumn until late spring. One way they keep themselves from starving to death is to reduce their metabolism. However, … Continue reading Cutworms dig deep and suppress their metabolic rates to save energy during dormancy

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animal physiological ecology

The cost of living on the coast: Toads are smaller and invest less in reproduction along the coast

Léa Lorrain-Soligon, Luca Périsse, Fréderic Robin, Marko Jankovic, François Brischoux This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Coastal environments are saltier than inland ones. Because saltier environments induce water loss and salt gain, organisms living in such environments need to regulate their water balance, which is energetically costly. As a consequence, the energy invested in … Continue reading The cost of living on the coast: Toads are smaller and invest less in reproduction along the coast

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