长爪沙鼠免疫功能、体脂含量和器官重量的季节变化

小型哺乳动物的体脂含量与免疫功能有关,并受环境条件的影响。为了进一步理解野生长爪沙鼠对环境的生存适应策略,我们于2004 年夏季(7～8月)和2005年冬季(1～3月)测定了野生长爪沙鼠的体重、体脂含量和脏器重量,以及由匙孔血蓝蛋白(KLH)对雄鼠所介导的体液免疫反应。结果发现:雄鼠的胴体干重和体脂含量都显著高于雌鼠,其他各项指标无性别差异。冬季雌雄沙鼠的体重、胴体干重、体脂含量和褐色脂肪组织的湿重,以及雄鼠的睾丸湿重都显著高于夏季。脾脏的重量冬季趋于降低。处理组(注射KLH )动物血清中抗KLH 抗体的含量在冬季和夏季都显著高于对照组(注射生理盐水),且冬季处理组显著高于夏季处理组。本研究结果为动物种群调节的“冬季免疫增强假说”提供了一个新的野外例证。没有检测到免疫器官和产热器官、免疫器官和繁殖器官之间的权衡关系。     

夏季横断山不同地区大绒鼠脏器和消化道形态的差异

正随着全球气候变化的日趋加剧,动物对环境变化的反应模式和机制引起了越来越多研究者的兴趣(Canale and Henry,2010)。能量的获取与消耗是动物生存的关键,同时也是维持体重平衡的关键(Wang et al.,2003)。消化系统表型可塑性是动物个体的适应性特征,能帮助它们应对食物资源的变     

Seasonal flexibility in organ size in the Andean lizard Liolaemus moradoensis

The understanding of animal functioning in fluctuating environments is a major goal of physiological and evolutionary ecology. In temperate terrestrial habitats, one of the most pervasive changes in environmental conditions is that associated with the seasonal change along the year. In this study, we describe the pattern of seasonal variation in the size of nine internal organs in the lizard Liolaemus moradoensis from the Andes Mountains of Central Chile. We observed that the size of digestive organs was greater during summer in comparison to other seasons. Dry masses of liver and fat bodies reached maximum values during summer and minimum during spring. We suspect that lowest spring values are related with build‐up costs of energetically expensive organs (e.g., digestive, muscle mass) at the end of the hibernation period. Dry mass of the heart and lungs did not show a clear pattern of variation, suggesting that cardiac and pulmonary performance were maintained throughout the year. The dry mass of kidneys was greater during winter than during summer, a result observed in other hibernating lizards but for which there is no clear explanation. Finally, the dry mass of testes showed a maximum value during autumn and a progressive reduction toward summer, indicating that reproduction occurs during autumn. When represented in a bivariate space, acquisition (digestive), distribution (heart, lungs and kidneys), storage (liver and fat bodies), and expenditure (testes) organs generate four clusters. In general terms, observed seasonal pattern of change in organ size is in agreement with those reported for other lizard species that inhabit highly fluctuating environments. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Seasonal variation in body composition in an Afrotropical passerine bird: increases in pectoral muscle mass are,unexpectedly, associated with lower thermogenic capacity

Phenotypic flexibility in avian metabolic rates and body composition have been well-studied in high-latitude species, which typically increase basal metabolic rate (BMR) and summit metabolism (M_sum) when acclimatized to winter conditions. Patterns of seasonal metabolic acclimatization are more variable in lower-latitude birds that experience milder winters, with fewer studies investigating adjustments in avian organ and muscle masses in the context of metabolic flexibility in these regions. We quantified seasonal variation (summer vs winter) in the masses of organs and muscles frequently associated with changes in BMR (gizzard, intestines and liver) and M_sum (heart and pectoral muscles), in white-browed sparrow-weavers (Plocepasser mahali). We also measured pectoral muscle thickness using a portable ultrasound system to determine whether we could non-lethally estimate muscle size. A concurrent study measured seasonal changes in BMR and M_sum in the same population of sparrow-weavers, but different individuals. There was no seasonal variation in the dry masses of the gizzard, intestines or liver of sparrow-weavers, and during the same period, BMR did not vary seasonally. We found significantly higher heart (~ 18% higher) and pectoral muscle (~ 9% higher) dry mass during winter, although ultrasound measurements did not detect seasonal changes in pectoral muscle size. Despite winter increases in pectoral muscle mass, M_sum was ~ 26% lower in winter compared to summer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report an increase in avian pectoral muscle mass but a concomitant decrease in thermogenic capacity.

     

EVOLUTION OF BASAL METABOLIC RATE AND ORGAN MASSES IN LABORATORY MICE

Animal species of similar body mass vary widely in basal metabolic rate (BMR). A central problem of evolutionary physiology concerns the anatomical/physiological origin and functional significance of that variation. It has been hypothesized that such interspecific differences in wild animals evolved adaptively from differences in relative sizes of metabolically active organs. In order to minimize confounding phenotypic effects and maximize relevant genetic variation, we tested for intraspecific correlations between body-mass-corrected BMR and masses of four organs (heart, kidney, liver, and small intestine) among six inbred strains of mice. We found significant differences between strains in BMR and in masses of all four organs. Strains with exceptionally high (or low) BMR tended to have disproportionately large (or small) organs. The mass of each organ was correlated with the masses of each of the other three organs. Variation in organ masses accounted for 52% of the observed variation in BMR, of which 42% represented between-strain variation, and 10% represented within-strain variation. This conclusion is supported by published measurements of metabolic rates of tissue slices from the four organs. The correlation between BMR and intestine or heart mass arose exclusively from differences between strains, while the correlation between BMR and liver or kidney mass also appeared in comparing individual mice within the same strain. Thus, even though the masses of the four examined organs account for no more than 17% of total body mass, their high metabolic activities or correlated factors account for much of the variation in BMR among mice. We suggest that large masses of metabolically active organs are subject to natural selection through evolutionary trade-offs. On the one hand, they make possible high-energy budgets (advantageous under some conditions), but on the other hand they are energetically expensive to maintain.     

Functional trait variation of forest understorey plant communities across Europe

Global environmental changes are expected to alter the functional characteristics of understorey herb-layer communities, potentially affecting forest ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about what drives the variability of functional traits in forest understories. Here, we assessed the role of different environmental drivers in shaping the functional trait distribution of understorey herbs in fragmented forests across three spatial scales. We focused on 708 small, deciduous forest patches located in 16 agricultural landscape windows, spanning a 2500-km macroclimatic gradient across the temperate forest biome in Europe. We estimated the relative effect of patch-scale, landscape-scale and macroclimatic variables on the community mean and variation of plant height, specific leaf area and seed mass. Macroclimatic variables (monthly temperature and precipitation extremes) explained the largest proportion of variation in community trait means (on average 77% of the explained variation). In contrast, patch-scale factors dominated in explaining community trait variation (on average 68% of the explained variation). Notably, patch age, size and internal heterogeneity had a positive effect on the community-level variability. Landscape-scale variables explained only a minor part of the variation in both trait distribution properties. The variation explained by shared combinations of the variable groups was generally negligible. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales in predictions of environmental-change effects on the functionality of forest understories. We propose that forest management sustainability could benefit from conserving larger, historically continuous and internally heterogeneous forest patches to maximise ecosystem service diversity in rural landscapes.     

Tissue mass dynamics during egg-production in female Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata: dietary and hormonal manipulations

Changes in tissue masses associated with egg production were investigated in female Zebra Finches Taeniopygia gutatta using dietary and hormonal manipulations. We tested three hypotheses: that changes in organ masses, (a) reflect utilisation of endogenous nutrient stores due to inadequate daily dietary intake, (b) involve changes in organ structure or 'functional capacity', and (c) are initiated by onset of reproductive development (e.g. elevated plasma estrogen or yolk precursor levels, oviduct growth). Pectoral muscle lean dry mass was 18–22% lower in breeding females at the 1-egg stage compared to non-breeders, and this was independent of nutritional plane, i.e. similar changes occurred in birds provided with supplemental protein or egg food. Heart lean dry mass was also lower (16%) in breeding females, but only in birds on a low-quality seed diet, not in birds on supplemented diets. Decreases in total liver mass (14%) were due to changes in lipid content not lean dry mass, and were diet-dependent. These results demonstrate that changes in organ masses associated with egg production are complex, and do not simply reflect a general mobilisation of stored protein. We discuss why there is no hypertrophy of biosynthetic or metabolic 'machinery' associated with egg production in birds (cf. reproducing mammals). Exogenous 17β-estradiol induced plasma levels of yolk precursors typical of breeding birds, and initiated oviduct growth (to 31% of mature size). However, estradiol treatment caused no change in mass of pectoral muscle, heart or liver, demonstrating that there is no simple relationship between onset of reproductive development and associated tissue mass changes.     

Plasticity in body composition in breeding birds: what drives the metabolic costs of egg production?

Body composition in vertebrates is known to show phenotypic plasticity, and changes in organ masses are usually rapid and reversible. One of the most rapid and reversible changes is the transformation of the female avian reproductive organs before breeding. This provides an excellent system to investigate the effects of plasticity in organ size on basal metabolic rate (BMR) through relationships between organ masses and BMR. We compared body composition of female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) during various reproductive stages over 3 yr and investigated the pattern of changes in reproductive and nonreproductive organ mass during follicular development and ovulation. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between organ mass and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in nonbreeding, laying, and chick-rearing females. Our analysis revealed marked variation in organ masses between breeding stages but no consistent pattern among years except for kidney and pectoralis muscle. Furthermore, changes in nonreproductive organs did not parallel the cycle of growth and regression of the reproductive organs. The oviduct gained 62% of its 22-fold increase in mass in only 3 d, and oviduct regression was just as rapid and began even before the final egg of the clutch was laid, with 42% of the oviduct mass lost before laying of the final egg. In laying females, 18% of variation in mass-corrected RMR was explained by the mass of the oviduct (r2=0.18, n=80, P<0.0005), while pectoralis muscle mass in nonbreeding individuals and liver and gizzard mass in chick-rearing females were the only organs significantly related to RMR (r2=0.31-0.44). We suggest that the nonreproductive organs are affected more by changes in local ecological conditions than the reproductive state itself and that the activity and maintenance cost of the oviduct is high enough that selection has led to a very tight size-function relationship for this organ.     

The effect of grazing on winter survival of midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus) of different genders

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of grazing on midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus) population characteristics and survival of animals of different genders. The experiment used a randomized complete block design and was conducted in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China, in 2002 (The agricultural reclamation plots set up in 1994). From April 2006 to October 2010, midday gerbils were live‐trapped in 3 light grazing plots, 3 overgrazed plots, and 3 grazing exclusion plots. The quantity of vegetation was investigated in the two different grazing intensity areas and grazing exclusion area to determine the relationship between gerbils and plant food availability. The results suggested that there was higher gerbil density, individual body mass, and daily body mass growth rate in the grazing exclusion sites than the other sites across the whole year. Females had higher survival in grazing exclusion areas than in other treatments, but the males’ survival showed the opposite pattern. Our results indicated that grazing negatively influenced the midday gerbil population by reducing food availability. Grazing influenced the survival rates of male midday gerbils positively, but had negative effects on females. The reason for gendered differences in survival rates of midday gerbils requires further investigation.     

Climate and mammalian life histories

Mammals display considerable geographical variation in life history traits. To understand how climatic factors might influence this variation, we analysed the relationship between life history traits – adult body size, litter size, number of litters per year, gestation length, neonate body mass, weaning age and age at sexual maturity – and several environmental variables quantifying the seasonality and predictability of temperature and precipitation across the distribution range of five terrestrial mammal groups. Environmental factors correlated strongly with each other; therefore, we used principal components analysis to obtain orthogonal climatic predictors that could be used in multivariate models. We found that in bats, primates and even‐toed ungulates adult body size tends to be larger in species inhabiting cold, dry, seasonal environments, whereas in carnivores and rodents a smaller body size is characteristic of warm, dry environments, suggesting that low food availability might limit adult size. Species inhabiting cold, dry, seasonal habitats have fewer, larger litters and shorter gestation periods; however, annual fecundity in these species is not higher, implying that the large litter size of mammals living at high latitudes is probably a consequence of time constraints imposed by strong seasonality. On the other hand, the number of litters per year and annual fecundity were greater in species inhabiting environments with higher seasonality in precipitation. Lastly, we found little evidence for specific effects of environmental variability. Our results highlight the complex effects of environmental factors in the evolution of life history traits in mammals. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111 , 719–736.     

中国外来入侵植物的分布格局及其与环境因子和人类活动的关系

认识区域尺度上外来入侵植物的分布格局及其成因对预测入侵的影响和入侵种的管理具有重要意义。该文采用聚类分析和排序的方法分析了我国外来入侵植物的空间格局,并利用多元线性逐步回归和典范对应分析探讨了自然环境因子和人类活动强度对中国32个省级空间单位(省市自治区,不包括香港和澳门)中外来入侵植物分布的影响。结果表明,中国各省外来入侵植物物种数从南到北逐渐减少,导致这一格局的主要因子为无霜期;各省外来入侵植物物种密度由东南海岸向内陆递减,造成这一趋势的主要影响因素为交通密度;纬度是解释中国各省外来入侵植物物种组成变异的主要因子,因此中国32个省区可归为低、中、高纬度区3大类型。在此基础上预测中国东南部地区有遭受更多外来植物入侵的可能;此外,交通发达的区域也将成为外来植物入侵的热点区,应该引起有关部门的重视。     

Accounting for biological variation in differential display two-dimensional electrophoresis experiments

Variation of protein expression levels was investigated in the heart, lung and liver from an inbred (C57/BL6) and an outbred (CD-1) mouse line. Based on the measured inter-individual variation, optimal sample sizes for two-dimensional electrophoresis experiments were determined by means of power analysis. For both lines, the level of protein expression variation was in the range of technical variation. Thus, although the differences in protein expression variation were significant between organs and mouse lines, optimal sample sizes were very similar (between 8 for heart proteins from C57/BL6 and 10 for liver proteins of the same line). Proteins with organ expression bias (higher expression in one organ as compared to the other two organs) exhibited higher variation of expression and the proportion of these proteins in each organ explained at least partly inter-organ differences in protein expression variation. The results suggest that proteomic experiments using more heterogeneous mouse samples would not require much larger sample sizes than those using narrowly standardized samples. Experiment designs encompassing a broader genetic variation and thus affording increased relevance of the results can be accessible to proteomics researchers at still affordable sample sizes.     

四川荥经县赤腹松鼠体重及脏器湿重的性别与季节差异

以2015年1月至12月捕自四川荥经县的310只成体赤腹松鼠(Callosciurus erythraeus,雄鼠174只,雌鼠136只)为研究对象,分析了其体重及7种内脏器官湿重的性别和季节差异,以及妊娠对内脏器官湿重的影响。1)雌、雄鼠的体重无性别和季节差异。2)心湿重雌、雄鼠差异显著,春季雄性大于雌性,夏季相反;肝、脾、肺和肾的湿重均无性别差异。3)肝湿重夏、冬季高于春、秋季;脾湿重秋季高于冬季和春季;肺湿重春季最高,夏季最低;肾湿重冬、春季高于夏季;心湿重雄鼠秋季高于夏、冬季,雌鼠夏、秋季高于冬季;睾丸和子宫湿重都在春季最高,秋季最低。4)妊娠鼠肝、肺和肾湿重均高于未妊娠鼠。结果表明,随着季节更替赤腹松鼠的体重维持稳定,雌、雄鼠心湿重差异显著,且器官湿重表现出了一定的弹性,这可能与雌、雄鼠的繁殖状态及季节性环境的多样性变化有关。     

Availability of water affects organ growth in prenatal and neonatal snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina)

We manipulated the amount of water that was available to prenatal and neonatal snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) in order to assess the impact of water on growth by different organs in these animals. Three treatments were used: (1) turtles that completed their incubation on a wet substrate, (2) turtles that completed their incubation on a dry substrate, and (3) turtles that spent a few days in water after completing incubation on a dry substrate. Turtles hatching on a dry substrate (treatment 2) were smaller than animals in the other two treatments (which did not differ in size), so data for mass of different organs were adjusted by ANCOVA to remove effects of body size. Scaled masses of liver, stomach, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine did not differ between turtles emerging in wet environments and those hatching in dry environments, but hearts of turtles hatching in dry settings were substantially larger than those of animals hatching in wet ones. Thus, the mass of most organs in turtles developing in wet and dry environments scaled to body size, whereas the heart was hypertrophied in embryos developing in dry environments. Turtles that spent a few days in water after hatching from eggs in dry environments grew rapidly in size, and the increase in body size was accompanied by disproportionately rapid growth in the liver, stomach, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine. The heart did not increase in size during this period, despite the substantial increase in body mass over that at hatching. The enlarged heart of turtles hatching on dry substrates may have been caused by a circulatory hypovolemia late in incubation; the rapid growth of organs other than the heart when these animals were placed in water may reflect a release from constraints on growth once circulatory volume was restored. Accepted: 2 November 1999     

Metabolic and organ mass responses to selection for high growth rates in the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus)

Evolutionary hypotheses suggest that higher rates of postembryonic development in birds should either lower the resting metabolic rate (RMR) in a trade-off between the costs of growth and maintenance or increase RMR because of a buildup of metabolic machinery. Furthermore, some suggest that higher rates of postembryonic development in birds should reduce peak metabolic rate (PMR) through delayed tissue maturation and/or an increased energy allocation to organ growth. We studied this by comparing metabolic rates and organ sizes of fast-growing meat-type chickens (broilers) with those of birds from a laying strain, which grow much slower. During the first week of life, despite growing six times faster, the RMR of the broiler chickens was lower than that of birds of the laying strain. The difference between strains in RMR disappeared thereafter, even though broilers continued to grow twice as fast as layers. The differences between strains in growth rate during the first week after hatching were not reflected in similar differences in the relative masses of the heart, liver, and small intestine. However, broilers had heavier intestines once they reached a body mass of 80 g. In contrast, broilers had relatively smaller brains than did layers. There was a positive correlation, over both strains, between RMR and the masses of leg muscles, intestine, and liver. Furthermore, despite delayed maturation of muscle tissue, broilers exhibited significantly higher PMR. We hypothesize that a balance between the larger relative muscle mass but lower muscle maturation level explains this high PMR. Another correlation, between leg muscle mass and PMR, partly explained the positive correlation between RMR and PMR.     

Environmental influences on spatial and temporal patterns of body-size variation in California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi)

Aim  In order to understand how ground squirrels ( Spermophilus beecheyi ) may respond to future environmental change, we investigated five biotic and environmental factors potentially responsible for explaining body-size variation in this species across California. We examined the concordance of spatial patterns with temporal body-size change since the last glacial maximum (LGM).
Location  California, western North America.
Methods  We quantified body size of modern populations of ground squirrels ( n  = 81) and used a model-selection approach to determine the best variables (sex, vegetation, number of congeners, temperature and/or precipitation) explaining geographical variation in body size among modern populations. We also quantified body size of one fossil population in northern California ( n  = 39) and compared temporal body-size change in S. beecheyi at this location since the LGM with model predictions.
Results  Body size of modern populations conformed to Bergmann's rule, with larger individuals in northern (wetter and cooler) portions of California. However, the models suggest that precipitation, rather than temperature or other variables, may best explain variation in body size across modern spatial gradients. Our conclusion is supported by the temporal data, demonstrating that the body size of S. beecheyi has increased in northern California since the LGM, concordant with precipitation but not temperature change in the region.
Main conclusions  Precipitation, rather than temperature, vegetation or number of congeneric species, was the main factor explaining both spatial and temporal patterns of body-size variation in S. beecheyi . The integration of space and time provides a powerful mechanism for predicting how local populations may respond to current and future climatic changes.     

Seasonal acclimatization of metabolism in Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus)

Acclimatization to winter conditions is an essential prerequisite for survival of small passerines of the northern temperate zone. Changes in photoperiod, ambient temperature and food availability trigger seasonal acclimatization in physiology and behavior of many birds. In the present study, seasonal adjustments in several physiological, hormonal, and biochemical markers were examined in wild-captured Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) from the Heilongjiang Province in China. In winter sparrows had higher body mass and basal metabolic rate (BMR). Consistently, the dry mass of liver, heart, gizzard, small intestine, large intestine and total digestive tract were higher in winter than in that in summer. The contents of mitochondrial protein in liver, and state-4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity in liver and muscle increased significantly in winter. Circulating level of serum triiodothyronine (T₃) was significantly higher in winter than in summer. Together, these data suggest that tree sparrows mainly coped with cold by enhancing thermogenic capacities through increased organ masses and heightened activity of respiratory enzymes activities. The results support the view that prominent winter increases in BMR are manifestations of winter acclimatization in tree sparrows and that seasonal variation in metabolism in sparrows is similar to that in other small temperate-wintering birds.     

Organ mass dynamics in relation to yolk precursor production and egg formation in European starlings Sturnus vulgaris.

Egg production in passerines and other birds requires rapid synthesis of proteins and lipids. We hypothesized that these biosynthetic demands would necessitate hypertrophy of the liver, which produces the yolk precursors vitellogenin and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and of the metabolic machinery that supports the liver's biosynthetic activity (e.g., heart, kidneys, lungs, and digestive organs). To test this hypothesis, free-living female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were collected through two breeding seasons. Change in liver mass in relation to breeding stage differed between years, as did the relationship between liver mass and plasma vitellogenin levels. In the first year, dry lean glycogen-free liver mass showed little seasonal variation and was not correlated with vitellogenin levels among egg-laying females. In the second year, liver mass was 4%-44% greater during egg laying than at other stages of breeding and was positively related to vitellogenin levels. In both years, the mass of the liver was not related to plasma VLDL levels. Thus, we did not find consistent relationships between liver mass and its biosynthetic output. In contrast to our hypotheses, the masses of the heart and digestive organs were lower during egg laying than they were before breeding. Meeting the biosynthetic demands of egg production does not appear to require hypertrophy of the liver or supporting metabolic machinery.     

Macroclimatic and maternal effects on the evolution of reproductive traits in lizards

Much of life‐history theory rests on fundamental assumptions about constraints on the acquisition and allocation of energy to growth and reproduction. In general, the allocation of energy to reproduction depends on maternal size, which in turn depends on environmental factors experienced throughout the life of the mother. Here, we used phylogenetic path analyses to evaluate competing hypotheses about the environmental and maternal drivers of reproductive traits in lizards. In doing so, we discovered that precipitation, rather than temperature, has shaped the evolution of the life history. Specifically, environments with greater rainfall have enabled the evolution of larger maternal size. In turn, these larger mothers produce larger clutches of larger offspring. However, annual precipitation has a negative direct effect on offspring size, despite the positive indirect effect mediated by maternal size. Possibly, the evolution of offspring size was driven by the need to conserve water in dry environments, because small organisms are particularly sensitive to water loss. Since we found that body size variation among lizards is related to a combination of climatic factors, mainly precipitation and perhaps primary production, our study challenges previous generalizations (e.g., temperature‐size rule and Bergmann''s rule) and suggests alternative mechanisms underlying the evolution of body size.     

Male body size and brooding success under natural conditions in the freshwater Japanese goby, Rhinogobius sp. OR (orange type)

Males of the Japanese goby Rhinogobius sp. OR (orange type) establish nests under stones in streams. They provide care to egg masses until hatching. We carried out field observations and a field experiment in a natural stream to examine the effect of male body size on brooding success. An experiment excluding guarding males indicated that their presence has a positive effect on nest defense. Field data showed that male body size was positively correlated with the size of the egg mass that was initially found at the nest. Furthermore, a sequential increase in egg mass size seen in the nests of larger males indicated that multiple females spawned during a single breeding cycle of larger males. To examine male brooding success, two dependent variables, egg mass persistence (days from initial egg mass to disappearance or hatching) and hatching success were analyzed. The results indicated that the variation found in both dependent variables was significantly explained by two independent variables, namely, initial egg-mass size and the number of matings. It is also suggested that male body size indirectly influenced brooding success through positive correlations with these independent variables.