Physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation in reptiles: a review |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Frank?SeebacherEmail author Craig?E?Franklin |
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Institution: | (1) Integrative Physiology, School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia;(2) School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia |
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Abstract: | The thermal dependence of biochemical reaction rates means that many animals regulate their body temperature so that fluctuations
in body temperature are small compared to environmental temperature fluctuations. Thermoregulation is a complex process that
involves sensing of the environment, and subsequent processing of the environmental information. We suggest that the physiological
mechanisms that facilitate thermoregulation transcend phylogenetic boundaries. Reptiles are primarily used as model organisms
for ecological and evolutionary research and, unlike in mammals, the physiological basis of many aspects in thermoregulation
remains obscure. Here, we review recent research on regulation of body temperature, thermoreception, body temperature set-points,
and cardiovascular control of heating and cooling in reptiles. The aim of this review is to place physiological thermoregulation
of reptiles in a wider phylogenetic context. Future research on reptilian thermoregulation should focus on the pathways that
connect peripheral sensing to central processing which will ultimately lead to the thermoregulatory response. |
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Keywords: | Body temperature Evolution Thermoreception Endothermy Ectothermy Metabolism Control Heat Cardiovascular |
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