Oxalate digestibility in Neotoma albigula and Neotoma mexicana |
| |
Authors: | Keith E Justice |
| |
Institution: | (1) Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 92717 Irvine, CA, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Summary The cactus specialist, Neotoma albigula, tolerates high concentrations of potentially harmful oxalate compounds in its diet. Previous research has shown that oxalate compounds are broken down by intestinal micro-organisms. Thus the ability of N. albigula to utilize a diet high in oxalates may be a consequence of the adaptation of the microflora rather than its own evolution. To test this hypothesis, the oxalate degradation ability of N. albigula was compared with that of N. mexicana, a generalist herbivore. Apparent oxalate digestibility was not significantly different in the two species, when tested using field-acclimated individuals. Analysis of scats recovered from traps indicated that both species were consuming oxalates in the wild. I conclude that the ability of these herbivores to tolerate oxalates is a natural consequence of the utilization of microbial fermentation to degrade the structural carbohydrates of plants coupled with the high adaptive and evolutionary potential of the microflora. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|