Fluctuating selection on basal metabolic rate

BMR (Basal metabolic rate) is an important trait in animal life history as it represents a significant part of animal energy budgets. BMR has also been shown to be positively related to sustainable work rate and maximal thermoregulatory capacity. To this date, most of the studies have focused on the causes of interspecific and intraspecific variation in BMR, and fairly little is known about the fitness consequences of different metabolic strategies. In this study, we show that winter BMR affects local survival in a population of wild blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), but that the selection direction differs between years. We argue that this fluctuating selection is probably a consequence of varying winter climate with a positive relation between survival and BMR during cold and harsh conditions, but a negative relation during mild winters. This fluctuating selection can not only explain the pronounced variation in BMR in wild populations, but will also give us new insights into how energy turnover rates can shape the life‐history strategies of animals. Furthermore, the study shows that the process of global warming may cause directional selection for a general reduction in BMR, affecting the general life‐history strategy on the population level.     

树麻雀代谢率和器官重量在季节驯化中表型的可塑性变化

动物能量代谢的生理生态特征与物种的分布和丰富度密切相关,基础代谢率(BMR)是内温动物能量预算的重要组成部分。北温带的小型鸟类,通过增加产热来适应低温环境。增加BMR的基础之一是中心器官(代谢机器)发生明显的变化。本研究中我们测定了树麻雀(Passermontanus)的BMR、体重和各器官的重量,分析了麻雀各器官的季节性变化及与BMR的关系。方差分析表明:麻雀的BMR存在明显的季节性变化,在冬季和秋季较高。麻雀内部器官的变化同样有明显的季节性,冬季和秋季麻雀的肝脏、心脏、肌胃、小肠、直肠和整体消化道的重量,都有明显的增加。相关分析表明:麻雀的BMR与肝脏、心脏和消化道等内部器官存在明显的相关性。我们的结果验证了“中心限制假说”,即麻雀体内存在着与BMR相关的“代谢机器”,中心器官是提高麻雀BMR的基础之一。     

What causes intraspecific variation in resting metabolic rate and what are its ecological consequences?

Individual differences in the energy cost of self-maintenance (resting metabolic rate, RMR) are substantial and the focus of an emerging research area. These differences may influence fitness because self-maintenance is considered as a life-history component along with growth and reproduction. In this review, we ask why do some individuals have two to three times the ‘maintenance costs’ of conspecifics, and what are the fitness consequences? Using evidence from a range of species, we demonstrate that diverse factors, such as genotypes, maternal effects, early developmental conditions and personality differences contribute to variation in individual RMR. We review evidence that RMR is linked with fitness, showing correlations with traits such as growth and survival. However, these relationships are modulated by environmental conditions (e.g. food supply), suggesting that the fitness consequences of a given RMR may be context-dependent. Then, using empirical examples, we discuss broad-scale reasons why variation in RMR might persist in natural populations, including the role of both spatial and temporal variation in selection pressures and trans-generational effects. To conclude, we discuss experimental approaches that will enable more rigorous examination of the causes and consequences of individual variation in this key physiological trait.     

白头鹎的代谢率与器官重量在季节驯化中的可塑性变化

动物能量代谢的生理生态特征与物种的分布和丰富度密切相关,基础代谢率(BMR)是恒温动物维持正常生理机能的最小产热速率,是动物在清醒时维持身体各项基本功能所需的最小能量值,是内温动物能量预算的重要组成部分.本研究测定了白头鹎(Pycnonotus sinensis)的BMR、内部器官(肝、心、肌胃、小肠、肾和整体消化道)和肌肉的重量,分析了白头鹎内部器官和肌肉重量的季节性变化及与BMR的关系.方差分析表明,白头鹎的BMR存在明显的季节性变化,冬季较高,夏季最低.其内部器官及肌肉重量的变化同样有明显的季节性.相关分析表明,白头鹎的BMR与肝、心、消化道等内部器官和肌肉重量存在明显的相关性.     

Climate change and breeding parameters of great and blue tits throughout the western Palaearctic

Increasing evidence suggests that climate change has consequences on avian breeding phenology. Here, variations in laying date and clutch size of great tit Parus major and blue tit Parus caeruleus within and between breeding populations through the western Palaearctic are examined in relation to climatic fluctuations, measured by the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Within and across breeding sites, laying date was related to winter‐NAO index such that great and blue tit females lay earlier after warmer, moister winters (positive values of winter NAO‐index). The present study shows that for most populations there is an advancement of laying date, but the rate of change with respect to NAO significantly differed geographically across the western Palaearctic and did not differ between species. However, clutch size of great and blue tits was not affected by climatic fluctuations, presumably because the whole season is being shifted, but not in relation to food supplies. These combined analyses for the two species controlled for potentially confounding variables such as latitude, longitude, elevation and habitat of each study site.     

Altitudinal and seasonal effects on aerobic metabolism of deer mice

Summary I compared the maximal aerobic metabolic rates ( ), field metabolic rates (FMR), aerobic reserves ( -FMR), and basal metabolic rates (BMR) of wild and recently captured deer mice from low (440 m) and high (3800 m) altitudes. To separate the effects of the thermal environment from other altitudinal effects, I examined mice from different altitudes, but similar thermal environments (i.e., summer mice from high altitude and winter mice from low altitude). When the thermal environment was similar, , FMR, and aerobic reserve of low and high altitude mice did not differ, but BMR was significantly higher at high altitude. Thus, in the absence of thermal differences, altitude had only minor effects on the aerobic metabolism of wild or recently captured deer mice.At low altitude, there was significant seasonal variation in , FMR, and aerobic reserve, but not BMR. BMR was correlated with , but not with FMR. The significant positive correlation of BMR with indicates a cost of high , because higher BMR increases food requirements and energy use during periods of thermoneutral conditions.Abbreviations BMR basal metabolic rate - FMR field metabolic rate - partial pressure of oxygen - T _a ambient temperature - T _b body temperature - T _e operative temperature - maximal aerobic metabolic rate     

NATURAL SELECTION FOR GRAZER RESISTANCE TO TOXIC CYANOBACTERIA: EVOLUTION OF PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY?

Abstract We studied the selection response of the freshwater grazing zooplankter, Daphnia galeata, to increased abundance of cyanobacteria in its environment. Cyanobacteria are a poor‐quality and often toxic food. Distinct genotypes of D. galeata were hatched from diapausing eggs extracted from three time horizons in the sediments of Lake Constance, Europe, covering the period 1962 to 1997, a time of change in both the prevalence of planktonic cyanobacteria and levels of phosphorus pollution. We assessed whether the grazers evolved to become more resistant to dietary cyanobacteria by exposing genetically distinct clones to two diets, one composed only of the nutritious green alga, Scenedesmus obliquus (good food), and the other a mixture of S. obliquus and the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (poor food). Genotype performance was measured as the specific rate of weight gain from neonate to maturity (g_j). We evaluated evolutionary change in the Daphnia population using an analysis of reaction norms based on relative (log‐transformed) changes in g_j. Log(g_j) is a measure of the proportional effect of dietary cyanobacteria on other fitness components of the Daphnia phenotype. For comparison, we also analyze absolute (i.e., nontransformed) changes in g_j and discuss the interpretations of the two approaches. Statistical results using a general linear model demonstrate a significant effect of genotype (showing differences in g_j among genotypes), a significant genotype X food‐type interaction (showing differences in phenotypic plasticity among genotypes), and, in the case of log‐transformed data, a significant sediment‐genotype‐age X food‐type interaction. The latter shows that phenotypic plasticity evolved over the period studied. Two constraints act on response to selection in the D. galeata‐Lake Constance system. First, g_j on a diet containing poor food is highly correlated with g_j on a diet of good food, thus evolving resistance also meant evolving an increase in g_j on both diets. Second, because genotypes with a high g_j also grow to a large adult body size, which in turn increases Daphnia vulnerability to fish predation, we suggest that selection only acted to favor genotypes possessing a high potential g_j after cyanobacteria became prevalent. The presence of cyanobacteria depressed realized g_j and led to animals of small adult body size even if their genotypes had the potential for high g_j and large size. With realized g_j reduced, genotypes with an inherently high value could be selected even in the presence of predatory fish. The joint action of selection by dietary cyanobacteria and vulnerability to fish predation provides an explanation for the observed evolution of resistance to poor food through reduced phenotypic plasticity.     

Do the high energy lifestyles of shorebirds result in high maximal metabolic rates? Basal and maximal metabolic rates in least and pectoral sandpipers during migration

Shorebirds have high resting and field metabolic rates relative to many other bird groups, and this is posited to be related to their high‐energy lifestyle. Maximum metabolic outputs for cold or exercise are also often high for bird groups with energetically demanding lifestyles. Moreover, shorebirds demonstrate flexible basal and maximal metabolic rates, which vary with changing energy demands throughout the annual cycle. Consequently, shorebirds might be expected to have high maximum metabolic rates, especially during migration periods. We captured least Calidris minutilla and pectoral C. melanotos sandpipers during spring and fall migration in southeastern South Dakota and measured maximal exercise metabolic rate (MMR; least sandpipers only), summit metabolic rate (M_sum, maximal cold‐induced metabolic rate) and basal metabolic rate (BMR, minimum maintenance metabolic rate) with open‐circuit respirometry. BMR for both least and pectoral sandpipers exceeded allometric predictions by 3–14%, similar to other shorebirds, but M_sum and MMR for both species were either similar to or lower than allometric predictions, suggesting that the elevated BMR in shorebirds does not extend to maximal metabolic capacities. Old World shorebirds show the highest BMR during the annual cycle on the Arctic breeding grounds. Similarly, least sandpiper BMR during migration was lower than on the Arctic breeding grounds, but this was not the case for pectoral sandpipers, so our data only partially support the idea of similar seasonal patterns of BMR variation in New World and Old World shorebirds. We found no correlations of BMR with either M_sum or MMR for either raw or mass‐independent data, suggesting that basal and maximum aerobic metabolic rates are modulated independently in these species.     

哺乳动物基础代谢率的主要影响因素

综述了影响哺乳动物基础代谢率的主要因素, 包括体重、系统发育、食性、气候和栖息地、季节、生活习性和繁殖, 以及激素、器官、线粒体和质子漏的理化特征等, 并对这些因素可能的作用机理进行了简要的分析。     

Basal metabolic rate can evolve independently of morphological and behavioural traits

Quantitative genetic analyses of basal metabolic rate (BMR) can inform us about the evolvability of the trait by providing estimates of heritability, and also of genetic correlations with other traits that may constrain the ability of BMR to respond to selection. Here, we studied a captive population of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in which selection lines for male courtship rate have been established. We measure BMR in these lines to see whether selection on male sexual activity would change BMR as a potentially correlated trait. We find that the genetic correlation between courtship rate and BMR is practically zero, indicating that the two traits can evolve independently of each other. Interestingly, we find that the heritability of BMR in our population (h²=0.45) is markedly higher than was previously reported for a captive zebra finch population from Norway. A comparison of the two studies shows that additive genetic variance in BMR has been largely depleted in the Norwegian population, especially the genetic variance in BMR that is independent of body mass. In our population, the slope of BMR increase with body mass differs not only between the sexes but also between the six selection lines, which we tentatively attribute to genetic drift and/or founder effects being strong in small populations. Our study therefore highlights two things. First, the evolvability of BMR may be less constrained by genetic correlations and lack of independent genetic variation than previously described. Second, genetic drift in small populations can rapidly lead to different evolvabilities across populations.     

内蒙古浑善达克沙地小毛足鼠的能量代谢和体温调节

为了解小毛足鼠对沙漠生境的适应特征,对其能量代谢和体温调节特征进行了测定。代谢率采用封闭式流体压力呼吸计测定,非颤抖性产热用皮下注射去甲肾上腺素诱导,能量摄入采用食物平衡法测定。结果显示:小毛足鼠的热中性区为25～33℃,平均体温为35 7±0 1℃,最小热传导率为0 21±0 01mlO2/g·h·℃,基础代谢率为2 61±0 04mlO2/g·h,最大非颤抖性产热为8 53±0 28mlO2/g·h,非颤抖性产热范围(最大非颤抖性产热与基础代谢率的比率)为3 3。基础代谢率和非颤抖性产热都高于以体重为基础的期望值,最小热传导接近期望值。小毛足鼠的摄入能为2 26±0 12kJ/g·d;消化能为2 18±0 13kJ/g·d;消化率为97±0 2%;可代谢能为2 13±0 12kJ/g·d;可代谢能效率为94±1 2%。这些结果表明小毛足鼠对沙地生境的适应特征是:基础代谢率较高,体温相对较低,最小热传导率与期望值相当,热中性区较宽,下临界温度较低;较高的最大非颤抖性产热和非颤抖性产热范围以及较高的食物消化效率。     

Swimming performance and metabolic rate of three tropical fishes in relation to temperature

Oxygen consumption was measured for three tropical fishes,Exodon paradoxus, Leporinus fasciatus andLabeo erythrurus in relation to swimming speed and temperature. For each species the logarithm of oxygen consumption (mg 0₂ · g^–1 · h^–1) increased linearly with relative swimming speed (1 · s^–1) with the value of the regression coefficients varying inversely with temperature. Active metabolism and critical swimming speed ofE. paradoxus andL. fasciatus increased with temperature to a maximum at 30 and 35° C respectively. Basal metabolic rates ofE. paradoxus andL. fasciatus increased with temperature. Metabolic rates and critical swimming speed of the three fishes studied were consistent with values for polar, temperate and other tropical species over their respective thermal ranges of tolerance. Tropical fishes have lowered their metabolism and swimming performance from that expected for many temperate species at the same temperature.     

质子漏及其在基础代谢中的作用

“质子漏”是指电子传递链跨膜泵出的质子通过不涉及ATP合成的途径而跨膜扩散流回基质的过程,它的出现形成了由呼吸链驱动的质子泵出和质子回漏的无效循环通路.质子漏的耗氧在呼吸速率中占有重要的比重,对细胞呼吸有很强的控制作用,可以调节能量偶联系数,同时质子漏也是重要的产热过程,它承担了基础代谢产热的20%～30%.质子漏的生理功能有产热、增加代谢调节潜能、清除有害自由基和调节碳流等.