Physiological effects of short-term water deprivation in the South American sigmodontine rice rat Oligoryzomys nigripes and water rat Nectomys squamipes within a phylogenetic context

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 1326-1335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martim de França Silveira Ribeiro ◽  
Pedro Luiz Bernardo da Rocha ◽  
Lys Angela Favaroni Mendes ◽  
Steven Franklin Perry ◽  
Elisabeth Spinelli de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Deprivation ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Evaporative Water ◽  
Semi Arid

Ancestrally, oryzomyine rodents have a sylvan habit, but some species have colonized the semi-arid Brazilian Caatinga. Therefore, the clade provides a suitable model for studying adaptation to such environments within a phylogenetic framework. We investigated physiological responses to short-term water deprivation in two oryzomyine rodents kept in captivity. Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers, 1818), a small-bodied rodent, occupies the Caatinga, whereas Nectomys squamipes (Brants, 1827), which is larger and semi-aquatic, lives in moist habitats outside this region. Measurements were also carried out in three additional related species of intermediate body size. Neither O. nigripes nor N. squamipes displays exceptional ability to conserve water, and this condition appears to be plesiomorphic for the clade. The results for O. nigripes, such as the great absolute water intake and the high ratio of water ingested to urine voided, probably derive from allometric specializations correlated with its small body size and greater evaporative water loss. In N. squamipes, low urine osmolality and a reduction of food intake during water deprivation may be related to its semi-aquatic lifestyle. Therefore, the Oryzomyini exemplify Neotropical rodents that can occupy semi-arid environments with no remarkable physiological adaptation for water conservation.

scholarly journals Environmental determinants of total evaporative water loss in birds at multiple temperatures

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soorim Song ◽  
Steven R Beissinger
Keyword(s):  
Water Loss ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Evaporative Water Loss ◽  
Diel Activity ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Evaporative Water

Abstract Endotherms dissipate heat to the environment to maintain a stable body temperature at high ambient temperatures, which requires them to maintain a balance between heat dissipation and water conservation. Birds are relatively small, contain a large amount of metabolically expensive tissue, and are mostly diurnal, making them susceptible to physiological challenges related to water balance and heat dissipation. We compiled total evaporative water loss (TEWL) measurements for 174 species of birds exposed to different temperatures and used comparative methods to examine their relationships with body size, ambient temperature, precipitation, diet, and diel activity cycle. TEWL in the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) was associated primarily with body mass and activity phase. Larger and more active-phase birds, with their higher metabolic rates, lost more water through evaporation than smaller, resting-phase birds, particularly at higher thermal exposures. However, maximum temperature of the natural habitat became an important determinant of TEWL when birds were exposed to temperatures exceeding the TNZ. Species from hotter climates exhibited higher TEWL. Adaptation to arid climates did not restrict evaporative water loss at thermal conditions within the TNZ, but promoted evaporative water loss at exposures above the TNZ. The TEWL of granivores, which ingest food with low water content, differed little from species with other food habitats under all thermal conditions. The effects of environmental covariates of TEWL were dissimilar across thermal exposures, suggesting no evidence for a tradeoff between water conservation in the TNZ and heat dissipation at exposure to higher temperatures. Thus, birds may be able to acclimate when climate change results in the need to increase heat dissipation due to warming, except perhaps in hot, arid environments where species will need to depend heavily upon evaporative cooling to maintain homeothermy.

Towards sustainable irrigated Mediterranean agriculture: implications for water conservation in semi-arid environments

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 635-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iván Francisco García-Tejero ◽  
Víctor Hugo Durán-Zuazo ◽  
José Luis Muriel-Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Semi Arid

Terrestrial burrowing ecology of newly metamorphosed frogs (Rana pipiens complex)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 2124-2129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Parris
Keyword(s):  
Water Loss ◽  
Rana Pipiens ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Rana Sphenocephala ◽  
Evaporative Water ◽  
Hind Limbs ◽  
Rana Blairi ◽  
Semi Arid

I examined the burrowing performance of newly metamorphosed Rana areolata, Rana blairi, and Rana sphenocephala in laboratory aquaria. Three treatments were used to determine whether metamorphs, when deprived of a water source, actively dig their own burrows, and if they utilize natural irregularities in substrate profiles or preexisting burrows as shelter from evaporative desiccation. Analysis of covariance (initial body mass covariate) revealed that individuals of all three species actively burrowed and passively utilized preexisting experimental burrows, but active burrowing, which consisted of substrate excavation using only the hind limbs, took much longer. Metamorphs that used preexisting burrows conserved water more efficiently than those that actively dug their own burrows. Rana blairi experienced the highest percent water loss across all treatments and was the only species to suffer mortality during the experiment. These data suggest that burrowing, by minimizing evaporative water loss, may be a critical adaptive behavior for metamorphic frogs in semi-arid environments.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Growth and Reproductive Performance of Cloned Pietrain Boars

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2053
Author(s):  
Junsong Shi ◽  
Baohua Tan ◽  
Lvhua Luo ◽  
Zicong Li ◽  
Linjun Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Growth Performance ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
F1 Progeny

How to maximize the use of the genetic merits of the high-ranking boars (also called superior ones) is a considerable question in the pig breeding industry, considering the money and time spent on selection. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is one of the potential ways to answer the question, which can be applied to produce clones with genetic resources of superior boar for the production of commercial pigs. For practical application, it is essential to investigate whether the clones and their progeny keep behaving better than the “normal boars”, considering that in vitro culture and transfer manipulation would cause a series of harmful effects to the development of clones. In this study, 59,061 cloned embryos were transferred into 250 recipient sows to produce the clones of superior Pietrain boars. The growth performance of 12 clones and 36 non-clones and the semen quality of 19 clones and 28 non-clones were compared. The reproductive performance of 21 clones and 25 non-clones were also tested. Furthermore, we made a comparison in the growth performance between 466 progeny of the clones and 822 progeny of the non-clones. Our results showed that no significant difference in semen quality and reproductive performance was observed between the clones and the non-clones, although the clones grew slower and exhibited smaller body size than the non-clones. The F1 progeny of the clones showed a greater growth rate than the non-clones. Our results demonstrated through the large animal population showed that SCNT manipulation resulted in a low growth rate and small body size, but the clones could normally produce F1 progeny with excellent growth traits to bring more economic benefits. Therefore, SCNT could be effective in enlarging the merit genetics of the superior boars and increasing the economic benefits in pig reproduction and breeding.

scholarly journals Independent evolution towards larger body size in the distinctive Faroe Island mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Wilches ◽  
William H Beluch ◽  
Ellen McConnell ◽  
Diethard Tautz ◽  
Yingguang Frank Chan
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Laboratory Mouse ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Multiple Loci

Abstract Most phenotypic traits in nature involve the collective action of many genes. Traits that evolve repeatedly are particularly useful for understanding how selection may act on changing trait values. In mice, large body size has evolved repeatedly on islands and under artificial selection in the laboratory. Identifying the loci and genes involved in this process may shed light on the evolution of complex, polygenic traits. Here, we have mapped the genetic basis of body size variation by making a genetic cross between mice from the Faroe Islands, which are among the largest and most distinctive natural populations of mice in the world, and a laboratory mouse strain selected for small body size, SM/J. Using this F2 intercross of 841 animals, we have identified 111 loci controlling various aspects of body size, weight and growth hormone levels. By comparing against other studies, including the use of a joint meta-analysis, we found that the loci involved in the evolution of large size in the Faroese mice were largely independent from those of a different island population or other laboratory strains. We hypothesize that colonization bottleneck, historical hybridization, or the redundancy between multiple loci have resulted in the Faroese mice achieving an outwardly similar phenotype through a distinct evolutionary path.

scholarly journals Exogenously Used 24-Epibrassinolide Promotes Drought Tolerance in Maize Hybrids by Improving Plant and Water Productivity in an Arid Environment

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
El-Sayed M. Desoky ◽  
Elsayed Mansour ◽  
Mohamed M. A. Ali ◽  
Mohamed A. T. Yasin ◽  
Mohamed I. E. Abdul-Hamid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Net Photosynthesis ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Maize Hybrids ◽  
Semi Arid

The influence of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR24), applied to leaves at a concentration of 5 μM, on plant physio-biochemistry and its reflection on crop water productivity (CWP) and other agronomic traits of six maize hybrids was field-evaluated under semi-arid conditions. Two levels of irrigation water deficiency (IWD) (moderate and severe droughts; 6000 and 3000 m3 water ha−1, respectively) were applied versus a control (well-watering; 9000 m3 water ha−1). IWD reduced the relative water content, membrane stability index, photosynthetic efficiency, stomatal conductance, and rates of transpiration and net photosynthesis. Conversely, antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolyte contents were significantly increased as a result of the increased malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage compared to the control. These negative influences of IWD led to a reduction in CWP and grain yield-related traits. However, EBR24 detoxified the IWD stress effects and enhanced all the above-mentioned parameters. The evaluated hybrids varied in drought tolerance; Giza-168 was the best under moderate drought, while Fine-276 was the best under severe drought. Under IWD, certain physiological traits exhibited a highly positive association with yield and yield-contributing traits or CWP. Thus, exogenously using EBR24 for these hybrids could be an effective approach to improve plant and water productivity under reduced available water in semi-arid environments.

Changing perceptions of the effect of plant phenolics on nutrient supply in the ruminant

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 829 ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Lowry ◽  
CS McSweeney ◽  
B Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Acute Toxicity ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Nutrient Supply ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Plant Phenolics ◽  
Ruminant Nutrition ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Hydrolysable Tannins ◽  
Semi Arid

Mammalian metabolism of plant phenolics, initially studied in monogastric animals, gave an emphasis to their toxic and antinutrient effects. Subsequent studies in tropical ruminants and wild herbivores have highlighted the high levels than can occur in some diets and the extensive microbial modification and degradation that can occur in the tract. This paper reviews aspects of plant phenolics as they relate to ruminant nutrition in tropical or semi-arid environments in which some forage plants contain high levels of phenolic compounds. Effects range from occasional acute toxicity of hydrolysable tannins, to acetate-releasing microbial degradations that apparently enable certain phenolics to act as nutrients. The most important and complex effects are those due to tannin-protein interactions. Although these can clearly reduce feed intake, nutrient digestibilities, and protein availability, many of the interactions are still not understood. The diverse effects of plant phenolics on nutrient flow probably result from the balance between adverse effects on some organisms and the rate at which they are degraded or inactivated by other organisms, and improved animal performance can likely be obtained by manipulation of rumen microbial metabolism.

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