Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi
Background: Hibernation and daily torpor are energy- and water-saving adaptations employed to survive unfavourable periods mostly in temperate and arctic environments, but also in tropical and arid climates. Heterothermy has been found in a number of mammalian orders, but within the primates so far...
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ftliverpooljmu:oai:researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk:14947 2023-05-15T15:15:24+02:00 Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi Nowack, J Mzilikazi, N Dausmann, KH 2010-05-24 text http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/ https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/1/Nowack%20et%20al.%202010.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 en eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/1/Nowack%20et%20al.%202010.pdf Nowack, J, Mzilikazi, N and Dausmann, KH (2010) Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi. PLoS ONE, 5 (5). ISSN 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 cc_by CC-BY GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology Article PeerReviewed 2010 ftliverpooljmu https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 2022-01-09T06:57:47Z Background: Hibernation and daily torpor are energy- and water-saving adaptations employed to survive unfavourable periods mostly in temperate and arctic environments, but also in tropical and arid climates. Heterothermy has been found in a number of mammalian orders, but within the primates so far it seems to be restricted to one family of Malagasy lemurs. As currently there is no evidence of heterothermy of a primate outside of Madagascar, the aim of our study was to investigate whether small primates from mainland Africa are indeed always homeothermic despite pronounced seasonal changes in weather and food availability. Methodology/Principal Findings:One of the nearest relatives of Malagasy lemurs, the African lesser bushbaby, Galago moholi, which inhabits a highly seasonal habitat with a hot wet-season and a cold dry-season with lower food abundance, was investigated to determine whether it is capable of heterothermy. We measured skin temperature of free-ranging individuals throughout the cool dry season using temperature-sensitive collars as well as metabolic rate in captured individuals. Torpor was employed by 15% of 20 animals. Only one of these animals displayed heterothermy in response to natural availability of food and water, whereas the other animals became torpid without access to food and water. Conclusions/Significance: Our results show that G. moholi are physiologically capable of employing torpor. However they do not use it as a routine behaviour, but only under adverse conditions. This reluctance is presumably a result of conflicting selective pressures for energy savings versus other ecological and evolutionary forces, such as reproduction or territory defence. Our results support the view that heterothermy in primates evolved before the division of African and Malagasy Strepsirhini, with the possible implication that more primate species than previously thought might still have the potential to call upon this possibility, if the situation necessitates it. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Liverpool John Moores University: LJMU Research Online Arctic PLoS ONE 5 5 e10797 |
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Liverpool John Moores University: LJMU Research Online |
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ftliverpooljmu |
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English |
topic |
GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology |
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GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology Nowack, J Mzilikazi, N Dausmann, KH Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
topic_facet |
GE Environmental Sciences QH301 Biology QL Zoology |
description |
Background: Hibernation and daily torpor are energy- and water-saving adaptations employed to survive unfavourable periods mostly in temperate and arctic environments, but also in tropical and arid climates. Heterothermy has been found in a number of mammalian orders, but within the primates so far it seems to be restricted to one family of Malagasy lemurs. As currently there is no evidence of heterothermy of a primate outside of Madagascar, the aim of our study was to investigate whether small primates from mainland Africa are indeed always homeothermic despite pronounced seasonal changes in weather and food availability. Methodology/Principal Findings:One of the nearest relatives of Malagasy lemurs, the African lesser bushbaby, Galago moholi, which inhabits a highly seasonal habitat with a hot wet-season and a cold dry-season with lower food abundance, was investigated to determine whether it is capable of heterothermy. We measured skin temperature of free-ranging individuals throughout the cool dry season using temperature-sensitive collars as well as metabolic rate in captured individuals. Torpor was employed by 15% of 20 animals. Only one of these animals displayed heterothermy in response to natural availability of food and water, whereas the other animals became torpid without access to food and water. Conclusions/Significance: Our results show that G. moholi are physiologically capable of employing torpor. However they do not use it as a routine behaviour, but only under adverse conditions. This reluctance is presumably a result of conflicting selective pressures for energy savings versus other ecological and evolutionary forces, such as reproduction or territory defence. Our results support the view that heterothermy in primates evolved before the division of African and Malagasy Strepsirhini, with the possible implication that more primate species than previously thought might still have the potential to call upon this possibility, if the situation necessitates it. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nowack, J Mzilikazi, N Dausmann, KH |
author_facet |
Nowack, J Mzilikazi, N Dausmann, KH |
author_sort |
Nowack, J |
title |
Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
title_short |
Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
title_full |
Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
title_fullStr |
Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
title_full_unstemmed |
Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi |
title_sort |
torpor on demand: heterothermy in the non-lemur primate galago moholi |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/ https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/1/Nowack%20et%20al.%202010.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_relation |
https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14947/1/Nowack%20et%20al.%202010.pdf Nowack, J, Mzilikazi, N and Dausmann, KH (2010) Torpor on Demand: Heterothermy in the Non-Lemur Primate Galago moholi. PLoS ONE, 5 (5). ISSN 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 |
op_rights |
cc_by |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010797 |
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PLoS ONE |
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5 |
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5 |
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e10797 |
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