Between-population differences in digestive flexibility in the olivaceous field mouse |
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| Authors: | Bozinovic Francisco Rojas José M Maldonado Karin Sabat Pablo Naya Daniel E |
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| Affiliation: | a Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology & Biodiversity and Departamento de Ecología, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile;b Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Campus Juan Gómez Millas, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile;c Departamento de Ecología y Medio Ambiente, Instituto de Filosofía y Ciencias de la Complejidad, Los Alerces 3024, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile;d Sección Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, and Centro Universitario de la Región Este, Universidad de la República, Uruguay |
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| Abstract: | The flexibility of digestive traits characterizes a standard model of physiological flexibility, demonstrating that animals adjust their digestive attributes in order to maximize overall energy return. Using an intraspecific experimental study, we evaluated the amount of flexibility in digestive tract mass and length in individuals from field mouse populations inhabiting semi-arid and temperate rain forest habitats and acclimated for six months to diets of different qualities. In accordance with the predictions of the theory of digestion, we observed a highly significant relationship between dietary variability and digestive flexibility in both specific digestive chambers and in the total digestive tract mass and length. Specifically, we found higher digestive plasticity in response to diet quality in rodents inhabiting southern temperate ecosystems with higher dietary variability in comparison to individuals from northern semi-arid habitats. |
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| Keywords: | Diet quality Dietary variability Digestive theory Gut size flexibility Phenotypic plasticity |
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