Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate
Abstract Animals have adapted behavioral and physiological strategies to conserve energy during periods of adverse conditions. Heterothermy is one such adaptation used by endotherms. While heterothermy—fluctuations in body temperature and metabolic rate—has been shown in large vertebrates, little is...
Published in: | Ecology and Evolution |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/article/a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 2023-05-15T14:58:34+02:00 Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate Jean‐Pierre Desforges Floris M. vanBeest Gonçalo M. Marques Stine H. Pedersen Larissa T. Beumer Marianna Chimienti Niels Martin Schmidt 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/article/a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/article/a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 338-351 (2021) dynamic energy budget metabolic rate muskox (Ovibos moschatus) reproduction thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 2022-12-31T07:19:11Z Abstract Animals have adapted behavioral and physiological strategies to conserve energy during periods of adverse conditions. Heterothermy is one such adaptation used by endotherms. While heterothermy—fluctuations in body temperature and metabolic rate—has been shown in large vertebrates, little is known of the costs and benefits of this strategy, both in terms of energy and in terms of fitness. Hence, our objective was to model the energetics of seasonal heterothermy in the largest Arctic ungulate, the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), using an individual‐based energy budget model of metabolic physiology. We found that the empirically based drop in body temperature (winter max ~−0.8°C) overwinter in adult females resulted in substantial fitness benefits in terms of reduced daily energy expenditure and body mass loss. Body mass and energy reserves were 8.98% and 14.46% greater in modeled heterotherms compared to normotherms by end of winter. Based on environmental simulations, we show that seasonal heterothermy can, to some extent, buffer the negative consequences of poor prewinter body condition or reduced winter food accessibility, leading to greater winter survival (+20%–30%) and spring energy reserves (+10%–30%), and thus increased probability of future reproductive success. These results indicate substantial adaptive short‐term benefits of seasonal heterothermy at the individual level, with potential implications for long‐term population dynamics in highly seasonal environments. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Ecology and Evolution 11 1 338 351 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
dynamic energy budget metabolic rate muskox (Ovibos moschatus) reproduction thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
dynamic energy budget metabolic rate muskox (Ovibos moschatus) reproduction thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 Jean‐Pierre Desforges Floris M. vanBeest Gonçalo M. Marques Stine H. Pedersen Larissa T. Beumer Marianna Chimienti Niels Martin Schmidt Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
topic_facet |
dynamic energy budget metabolic rate muskox (Ovibos moschatus) reproduction thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Animals have adapted behavioral and physiological strategies to conserve energy during periods of adverse conditions. Heterothermy is one such adaptation used by endotherms. While heterothermy—fluctuations in body temperature and metabolic rate—has been shown in large vertebrates, little is known of the costs and benefits of this strategy, both in terms of energy and in terms of fitness. Hence, our objective was to model the energetics of seasonal heterothermy in the largest Arctic ungulate, the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), using an individual‐based energy budget model of metabolic physiology. We found that the empirically based drop in body temperature (winter max ~−0.8°C) overwinter in adult females resulted in substantial fitness benefits in terms of reduced daily energy expenditure and body mass loss. Body mass and energy reserves were 8.98% and 14.46% greater in modeled heterotherms compared to normotherms by end of winter. Based on environmental simulations, we show that seasonal heterothermy can, to some extent, buffer the negative consequences of poor prewinter body condition or reduced winter food accessibility, leading to greater winter survival (+20%–30%) and spring energy reserves (+10%–30%), and thus increased probability of future reproductive success. These results indicate substantial adaptive short‐term benefits of seasonal heterothermy at the individual level, with potential implications for long‐term population dynamics in highly seasonal environments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jean‐Pierre Desforges Floris M. vanBeest Gonçalo M. Marques Stine H. Pedersen Larissa T. Beumer Marianna Chimienti Niels Martin Schmidt |
author_facet |
Jean‐Pierre Desforges Floris M. vanBeest Gonçalo M. Marques Stine H. Pedersen Larissa T. Beumer Marianna Chimienti Niels Martin Schmidt |
author_sort |
Jean‐Pierre Desforges |
title |
Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
title_short |
Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
title_full |
Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
title_fullStr |
Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
title_full_unstemmed |
Quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an Arctic ungulate |
title_sort |
quantifying energetic and fitness consequences of seasonal heterothermy in an arctic ungulate |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/article/a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus |
genre_facet |
Arctic muskox ovibos moschatus |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 338-351 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.7049 https://doaj.org/article/a6adb8aa36ff4ccc94a010568d423491 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7049 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
338 |
op_container_end_page |
351 |
_version_ |
1766330708237746176 |