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Social interaction can improve animal performance through the prevention of stress-related events, the provision of security, and the enhancement of reproductive output and survival. We investigated the effects of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavioral, cognitive, and physiological performance in the social, long-lived rodent Octodon degus. Degu pups were separated into two social stress treatments: control (CTRL) and chronically isolated (CI) individuals from post-natal and post-weaning until adulthood. We quantified anxiety-like behavior and cognitive performance with a battery of behavioral tests. Additionally, we measured their basal metabolic rate (BMR) and analyzed the multifractal properties of the oxygen consumption time series using Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, a well-known method for assessing the fractal characteristics of biological signals. Our results showed that CI induced a significant increase in anxiety-like behaviors and led to a reduction in social and working memory in male degus. In addition, CI-treated degus reduced the multifractal complexity of BMR compared to CTRL, which implies a decrease in the ability to respond to environmental stressors and, as a result, an unhealthy state. In contrast, we did not observe significant effects of social stress on BMR. Multivariate analyses showed a clear separation of behavior and physiological variables into two clusters, corresponding to CI and CTRL degus. This study provides novel insights into the effects of prolonged chronic social isolation stress on behavior, cognitive performance, and metabolic complexity in this rodent animal model. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to integrate cognitive-behavioral performance and multifractal dynamics of a physiological signal in response to prolonged social isolation. These findings highlight the importance of social interactions for the well-being and overall performance of social animals.

Social interactions have a significant impact on health in humans and animal models. Social isolation initiates a cascade of stress-related physiological disorders and stands as a significant risk factor for a wide spectrum of morbidity and mortality. Indeed, social isolation stress (SIS) is indicative of cognitive decline and risk to neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic, long-term SIS on the propensity to develop hallmarks of AD in young degus (Octodon degus), a long-lived animal model that mimics sporadic AD naturally. We examined inflammatory factors, bioenergetic status, reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, antioxidants, abnormal proteins, tau protein, and amyloid-β (Aβ) levels in the hippocampus of female and male degus that were socially isolated from post-natal and post-weaning until adulthood. Additionally, we explored the effect of re-socialization following chronic isolation on these protein profiles. Our results showed that SIS promotes a pro-inflammatory scenario more severe in males, a response that was partially mitigated by a period of re-socialization. In addition, ATP levels, ROS, and markers of oxidative stress are severely affected in female degus, where a period of re-socialization fails to restore them as it does in males. In females, these effects might be linked to antioxidant enzymes like catalase, which experience a decline across all SIS treatments without recovery during re-socialization. Although in males, a previous enzyme in antioxidant pathway diminishes in all treatments, catalase rebounds during re-socialization. Notably, males have less mature neurons after chronic isolation, whereas phosphorylated tau and all detectable forms of Aβ increased in both sexes, persisting even post re-socialization. Collectively, these findings suggest that long-term SIS may render males more susceptible to inflammatory states, while females are predisposed to oxidative states. In both scenarios, the accumulation of tau and Aβ proteins increase the individual susceptibility to early-onset neurodegenerative conditions such as AD.

Antarctic marine animals face one of the most extreme thermal environments, characterized by a stable and narrow range of low seawater temperatures. At the same time, the Antarctic marine ecosystems are threatened by accelerated global warming. Determining the upper thermal limits (CTmax) is crucial to project the persistence and distribution areas of the Antarctic marine species. Using thermal death time curves (TDT), we estimated CTmax at different temporal scales from 1 minute to daily and seasonal, the predict vulnerability to the current thermal variation and two potential heatwave scenarios. Our results revealed that CTmax at 1 min are far from the temperature present in the marine intertidal area where our study species, showing Echinoderm species higher CTmax than the Chordata and Arthropods species. Simulations indicated that seasonal thermal variation from the intertidal zone contributed to basal mortality, which increased after considering moderate scenarios of heatwaves (+2°C) in the Shetland Archipelago intertidal zone. Our finding highlighted the relevance of including exposure time explicitly on the CTmax estimates, which deliver closer and more realistic parameters according to the species that may be experiencing in the field.

Both the mean and the variation in environmental temperature are increasing globally. Indeed, the predicted increases in temperature range from 2 to 4°C in the next 50 years. Ectotherms control body temperature by means of behavior selecting microsites with different temperatures, which makes them more susceptible to changes in climate. Nevertheless, lizards living in high mountain environments have developed several mechanisms to inhabit and colonize variable environments with extreme temperatures. These mechanisms include a high metabolism to be active at lower temperatures and viviparity to improve embryonic development. Despite behavioral thermoregulation acting as a buffer to changes in environmental temperature, other traits such as life-history traits may be less flexible. Consequently, in an attempt to understand how lizards cope with harsh habitats, we evaluated some physiological traits and responses of females of Liolaemus bellii from two contrasting slope sites with differences in environmental temperature and humidity, but at the same altitude in the southern Andes range. We collected pregnant females from opposite slopes and maintained them until parturition in a common-garden experiment. Females from the south-facing slope (S-slope) had higher preferred body temperature (Tpref) values before and after parturition and exhibited higher daily energy expenditure before parturition. Nevertheless, no difference in Tpref was shown by their offspring, suggesting a developmental plastic response or adaptation to lower environmental temperature. For instance, the higher metabolism during pregnancy could be associated with a shorter activity period on the snowy S-slope. Additionally, females from the S-slope had larger kidneys and gave birth later than N-slope females, likely due to developmental plasticity or genetic differentiation. How fixed these traits are, in individuals from the contrasting slopes, will determine the response capacity of the L. bellii population to climate change.

Octodon degus are a diurnal long-lived social animal widely used to perform longitudinal studies and complex cognitive tasks to test for physiological conditions with similitude in human behavior. They show a complex social organization feasible to be studied under different conditions and ages. Several aspects in degus physiology demonstrated that these animals are susceptible to environmental conditions, such as stress, fear, feeding quality, and isolation. However, the relevance of these factors in life of this animal depends on sex and age. Despite its significance, there are few studies with the intent to characterize neurological parameters that include these two parameters. To determine the basal neurophysiological status, we analyzed basic electrophysiological parameters generated during basal activity or synaptic plasticity in the brain slices of young and aged female and male degus. We studied the hippocampal circuit of animals kept in social ambient in captivity under controlled conditions. The study of basal synaptic activity in young animals (12–24 months old) was similar between sexes, but female degus showed more efficient synaptic transmission than male degus. We found the opposite in aged animals (60–84 months old), where male degus had a more efficient basal transmission and facilitation index than female degus. Furthermore, female and male degus develop significant but not different long-term synaptic plasticity (LTP). However, aged female degus need to recruit twice as many axons to evoke the same postsynaptic activity as male degus and four times more when compared to young female degus. These data suggest that, unlike male degus, the neural status of aged female degus change, showing less number or functional axons available at advanced ages. Our data represent the first approach to incorporate the effect of sex along with age progression in basal neural status.

Abstract Phenotypic plasticity may increase the performance and fitness and allow organisms to cope with variable environmental conditions. We studied within‐generation plasticity and transgenerational effects of thermal conditions on temperature tolerance and demographic parameters in Drosophila melanogaster. We employed a fully factorial design, in which both parental (P) and offspring generations (F1) were reared in a constant or a variable thermal environment. Thermal variability during ontogeny increased heat tolerance in P, but with demographic cost as this treatment resulted in substantially lower survival, fecundity, and net reproductive rate. The adverse effects of thermal variability (V) on demographic parameters were less drastic in flies from the F1, which exhibited higher net reproductive rates than their parents. These compensatory responses could not totally overcome the challenges of the thermally variable regime, contrasting with the offspring of flies raised in a constant temperature (C) that showed no reduction in fitness with thermal variation. Thus, the parental thermal environment had effects on thermal tolerance and demographic parameters in fruit fly. These results demonstrate how transgenerational effects of environmental conditions on heat tolerance, as well as their potential costs on other fitness components, can have a major impact on populations’ resilience to warming temperatures and more frequent thermal extremes.

Abstract The maintenance of sexuality is a puzzling phenomenon in evolutionary biology. Many universal hypotheses have been proposed to explain the prevalence of sex despite its costs, but it has been hypothesized that sex could be also retained by lineage‐specific mechanisms that would confer some short‐term advantage. Aphids are good models to study the maintenance of sex because they exhibit coexistence of both sexual and asexual populations within the same species and because they invade a large variety of ecosystems. Sex in aphids is thought to be maintained because only sexually produced eggs can persist in cold climates, but whether sex is obligate or facultative depending on climatic conditions remains to be elucidated. In this study, we have inferred the reproductive mode of introduced populations of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum in Chile along a climatic gradient using phenotypic assays and genetic‐based criteria to test the ecological short‐term advantage of sex in cold environments. Our results showed a latitudinal trend in the reproductive mode of Chilean pea aphid population from obligate parthenogenesis in the north to an intermediate life cycle producing both parthenogenetic and sexual progeny in the southernmost locality, where harsh winters are usual. These findings are congruent with the hypothesis of the ecological short‐term advantage of sex in aphids.

Abstract The capacity of some yeasts to extract energy from single sugars, generating CO2 and ethanol (=fermentation), even in the presence of oxygen, is known as the Crabtree effect. This phenomenon represents an important adaptation as it allowed the utilization of the ecological niche given by modern fruits, an abundant source of food that emerged in the terrestrial environment in the Cretaceous. However, identifying the evolutionary events that triggered fermentative capacity in Crabtree‐positive species is challenging, as microorganisms do not leave fossil evidence. Thus, key innovations should be inferred based only on traits measured under culture conditions. Here, we reanalyzed data from a common garden experiment where several proxies of fermentative capacity were recorded in Crabtree‐positive and Crabtree‐negative species, representing yeast phylogenetic diversity. In particular, we applied the “lasso‐OU” algorithm which detects points of adaptive shifts, using traits that are proxies of fermentative performance. We tested whether multiple events or a single event explains the actual fermentative capacity of yeasts. According to the lasso‐OU procedure, evolutionary changes in the three proxies of fermentative capacity that we considered (i.e., glycerol production, ethanol yield, and respiratory quotient) are consistent with a single evolutionary episode (a whole‐genomic duplication, WGD), instead of a series of small genomic rearrangements. Thus, the WGD appears as the key event behind the diversification of fermentative yeasts, which by increasing gene dosage, and maximized their capacity of energy extraction for exploiting the new ecological niche provided by single sugars.

In Octodon degus, the aging process is not equivalent between sexes and worsens for females. To determine the beginning of detrimental features in females and the ways in which to improve them, we compared adult females (36 months old) and aged females (72 months old) treated with Andrographolide (ANDRO), the primary ingredient in Andrographis paniculata. Our behavioral data demonstrated that age does not affect recognition memory and preference for novel experiences, but ANDRO increases these at both ages. Sociability was also not affected by age; however, social recognition and long-term memory were lower in the aged females than adults but were restored with ANDRO. The synaptic physiology data from brain slices showed that adults have more basal synaptic efficiency than aged degus; however, ANDRO reduced basal activity in adults, while it increased long-term potentiation (LTP). Instead, ANDRO increased the basal synaptic activity and LTP in aged females. Age-dependent changes were also observed in synaptic proteins, where aged females have higher synaptotagmin (SYT) and lower postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD95) levels than adults. ANDRO increased the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) at both ages and the PSD95 and Homer1 only in the aged. Thus, females exposed to long-term ANDRO administration show improved complex behaviors related to age-detrimental effects, modulating mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and proteins.

Predictions indicate that birds worldwide will be affected by global warming and extreme climatic events which is especially relevant for passerines because the diurnal habits, small body size, and high mass-adjusted metabolic rates of this group make it particularly susceptible to increases in temperature and aridity. Some bird species respond to conditions that stress osmoregulation by increasing their rates of energy expenditure, nevertheless, the effect of dehydration on metabolic rates in birds has produced contrasting results. It also remains unknown whether hydration state may cause shifts in tissue-specific metabolic rates or modify tissue oxidative status. We used the rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), to experimentally test the effect of dehydration on metabolic enzymes in erythrocytes, tissue oxidative status, basal metabolic rate (BMR), and total evaporative water loss. We found a significant increase in mass-adjusted BMR in water restricted (WR) birds compared to control birds (CT). Activity of cytochrome-c-oxidase (COX) in red blood cells (RBCs) was also significantly higher in the WR group relative to the CT group and this activity was positively correlated with mass-adjusted BMR. We found a moderate effect of water restriction on membrane damage of skeletal muscle. In a second set of individuals subjected to the same experimental conditions, lean mass and total water were tightly correlated and decreased by 10 and 12%, respectively, in birds in the WR group relative to the CT group. Decreases in total water and lean mass leads to an increase in mass-adjusted BMR in WR Z. capensis, suggesting that birds may simultaneously increase protein catabolism and production of metabolic water through oxidation. The significant positive relationship between BMR and COX in RBCs is a finding that requires additional research to determine whether erythrocyte metabolism is affected by dehydration per se and or it more generally reflects rates of energy expenditure in birds.

Aging is a progressive functional decline characterized by a gradual deterioration in physiological function and behavior. The most important age-related change in cognitive function is decline in cognitive performance (i.e., the processing or transformation of information to make decisions that includes speed of processing, working memory, and learning). The purpose of this study is to outline the changes in age-related cognitive performance (i.e., short-term recognition memory and long-term learning and memory) in long-lived Octodon degus. The strong similarity between degus and humans in social, metabolic, biochemical, and cognitive aspects makes it a unique animal model for exploring the mechanisms underlying the behavioral and cognitive deficits related to natural aging. In this study, we examined young adult female degus (12- and 24-months-old) and aged female degus (38-, 56-, and 75-months-old) that were exposed to a battery of cognitive-behavioral tests. Multivariate analyses of data from the Social Interaction test or Novel Object/Local Recognition (to measure short-term recognition memory), and the Barnes maze test (to measure long-term learning and memory) revealed a consistent pattern. Young animals formed a separate group of aged degus for both short- and long-term memories. The association between the first component of the principal component analysis (PCA) from short-term memory with the first component of the PCA from long-term memory showed a significant negative correlation. This suggests age-dependent differences in both memories, with the aged degus having higher values of long-term memory ability but poor short-term recognition memory, whereas in the young degus an opposite pattern was found. Approximately 5% of the young and 80% of the aged degus showed an impaired short-term recognition memory; whereas for long-term memory about 32% of the young degus and 57% of the aged degus showed decreased performance on the Barnes maze test. Throughout this study, we outlined age-dependent cognitive performance decline during natural aging in degus. Moreover, we also demonstrated that the use of a multivariate approach let us explore and visualize complex behavioral variables, and identified specific behavioral patterns that allowed us to make powerful conclusions that will facilitate further the study on the biology of aging. In addition, this study could help predict the onset of the aging process based on behavioral performance.

Hibernation (i.e., multiday torpor) is considered an adaptive strategy of mammals to face seasonal environmental challenges such as food, cold, and/or water shortage. It has been considered functionally different from daily torpor, a physiological strategy to cope with unpredictable environments. However, recent studies have shown large variability in patterns of hibernation and daily torpor (“heterothermic responses”), especially in species from tropical and subtropical regions. The arboreal marsupial “monito del monte” (Dromiciops gliroides) is the last living representative of the order Microbiotheria and is known to express both short torpor episodes and also multiday torpor depending on environmental conditions. However, only limited laboratory experiments have documented these patterns in D. gliroides. Here, we combined laboratory and field experiments to characterize the heterothermic responses in this marsupial at extreme temperatures. We used intraperitoneal data loggers and simultaneous measurement of ambient and body temperatures (TA and TB, respectively) for analyzing variations in the thermal differential, in active and torpid animals. We also explored how this differential was affected by environmental variables (TA, natural photoperiod changes, food availability, and body mass changes), using mixed-effects generalized linear models. Our results suggest that: (1) individuals express short bouts of torpor, independently of TA and even during the reproductive period; (2) seasonal torpor also occurs in D. gliroides, with a maximum bout duration of 5 days and a mean defended TB of 3.6 ± 0.9°C (one individual controlled TB at 0.09°C, at sub-freezing TA); (3) the best model explaining torpor occurrence (Akaike information criteria weight = 0.59) discarded all predictor variables except for photoperiod and a photoperiod by food interaction. Altogether, these results confirm that this marsupial expresses a dynamic form of torpor that progresses from short torpor to hibernation as daylength shortens. These data add to a growing body of evidence characterizing tropical and sub-tropical heterothermy as a form of opportunistic torpor, expressed as daily or seasonal torpor depending on environmental conditions.

Ongoing global change affects both wildlife and economically relevant species, which are now subjected to combined challenges from climate change and higher exposure to pathogens. Honeybee colonies worldwide are under threat by higher temperatures and the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, hence we studied the impact of these combined challenges in the thermal biology and energetics of Apis mellifera. We estimated the heat tolerance and energy expenditure (CO2 production and VCO2) of honeybees acclimated to different temperatures (32 and 38°C) and subjected to different levels of parasitism (0, 1, and 2 mites). Heat tolerance was quantified employing thermal death time (TDT) curves describing how survival times vary as a function of temperature, which differed significantly between treatments. Warm-acclimated uninfected bees exhibited a higher thermal tolerance than their cold-acclimated counterparts, but parasitism by Varroa resulted in a substantial drop in tolerance rendering TDT curves of parasitized bees virtually indistinguishable. Accordingly, VCO2 increased dramatically in parasitized bees (46.5 and 67.1% with 1 and 2 Varroa, respectively), suggesting that Varroa impinges on substantial costs on energy expenditure which, in combination with lower fat reserves due to parasitism, should have synergistic effects on bees’ survival and performance. Results provide conclusive evidence of the detrimental impact of Varroa on heat tolerance that undermines potentially adaptive responses associated with thermal acclimation. Results also show that heat treatments are a realistic venue to control Varroa, and we discuss how TDT curves may be employed to optimize management strategies in this context.

Abstract Until a few years ago, the “monito del monte” (Dromiciops gliroides) was considered the sole surviving species of Microbiotheria, the sister group of Australidelphia (Australian marsupials). However, the recent identification of a new species relegated to the northern range (Dromiciops bozinovici) and newly discovered populations of Dromiciops beyond the known limits for the geographic range demands for new studies in extreme locations. In this report, we describe the northernmost population of D. bozinovici at a high Andean location (Reserva Nacional Altos de Lircay [RNAL], which represents a record of Dromiciops distribution both in latitude [35° S] and in altitude [1696 m a.s.l.]). We live‐trapped individuals, performed behavioral observations, and extracted mtDNA (Cytb) for analyzing phylogenetic affinities. Together with confirming the phylogenetic position of RNAL within the D. bozinovici clade, interesting aspects of this isolated population arose, such as the sympatry with a didelphid marsupial (Thylamys elegans), and phylogenetic closeness with populations 300 km southward coastal. Our trapping effort yielded approximately 9.3 individuals/ha, which is relatively high compared with other small mammal populations, but typical for Dromiciops. Using in situ thermographic imaging during a night transect, we detected free‐ranging animals running vertically at ~3.6 km/h through the logs of mature trees (Nothofagus pumilio), which is fast compared with other small runners (e.g., cursorial rodents), and also compared with Dromiciops from other locations. We compared the critical time to escape, of RNAL individuals which resulted significantly higher than Dromiciops from Nahuelbuta and Valdivia, suggesting that animals from RNAL are more tolerant to human presence than other populations, which is probably due to the high level of isolation of this population. According to the IUCN the northernmost distribution of Dromiciops reaches Cauquenes, thus this report extends the distribution in 120 km to the North East. Interesting aspects, such as hibernation at freezing temperatures and the existence of a viable D. bozinovici population northward of RNAL, warrant further research on this interesting location.

Loneliness affects group-living mammals triggering a cascade of stress-dependent physiological disorders. Indeed, social isolation stress is a major risk factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. Furthermore, social isolation has a negative impact on health and fitness. However, the neurobiological consequences of long-term chronic social isolation stress (LTCSIS) manifested during the adulthood of affected individuals are not fully understood. Our study assessed the impact of LTCSIS and social buffering (re-socialization) on the behavioural performance and social-affective brain-related proteins in diurnal, social, and long-lived Octodon degus (degus). Thereby, anxiety-like and social behaviour, and social recognition memory were assessed in male and female animals subjected to a variety of stress-inducing treatments applied from post-natal and post-weaning until their adulthood. Additionally, we evaluated the relationship among LTCSIS, Oxytocin levels (OXT), and OXT-Ca2+-signalling proteins in the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that LTCSIS induces anxiety like-behaviour and impairs social novelty preference whereas sociability is unaffected. On the other hand, re-socialization can revert both isolation-induced anxiety and social memory impairment. However, OXT and its signalling remained reduced in the abovementioned brain areas, suggesting that the observed changes in OXT-Ca2+ pathway proteins were permanent in male and female degus. Based on these findings, we conclude degus experience social stress differently, suggesting the existence of sex-related mechanisms to cope with specific adaptive challenges.

Vector-borne diseases (VBD) are particularly susceptible to climate change because most of the diseases' vectors are ectotherms, which themselves are susceptible to thermal changes. The Chagas disease is one neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. One of the main vectors of the Chagas disease in South America is Triatoma infestans, a species traditionally considered to be restricted to domestic or peridomestic habitats, but sylvatic foci have also been described along its distribution. The infestation of wild individuals, together with the projections of environmental changes due to global warming, urge the need to understand the relationship between temperature and the vector's performance. Here, we evaluated the impact of temperature variability on the thermal response of T. infestans. We acclimated individuals to six thermal treatments for five weeks to then estimate their thermal performance curves (TPCs) by measuring the walking speed of the individuals. We found that the TPCs varied with thermal acclimation and body mass. Individuals acclimated to a low and variable ambient temperature (18°C ± 5°C) exhibited lower performances than those individuals acclimated to an optimal temperature (27°C ± 0°C); while those individuals acclimated to a low but constant temperature (18°C ± 0°C) did not differ in their maximal performance from those at an optimal temperature. Additionally, thermal variability (i.e., ± 5°C) at a high temperature (30°C) increased performance. These results evidenced the plastic response of T. infestans to thermal acclimation. This plastic response and the non-linear effect of thermal variability on the performance of T. infestans posit challenges when predicting changes in the vector's distribution range under climate change.

We described and compared the diets of two sympatric Andean camelids, during the humid season (austral summer) in a site of Northern Chile, in presence of domestic livestock. Results indicate that: 1) grasses and shrubs are the main component in the diet of both camelids, 2) shrubs were more consumed by V. vicugna; 3) V. vicugna and L. guanicoe used the same trophic resources but in different proportions; 4) in mountain environments, wetlands exploitation by wild camelids seems restricted by domestic cattle, which would cause the displacement of Vicuñas and Guanacos to suboptimal habitat for feeding.

Angiosperms are highly diverse in their reproductive systems, including predominantly selfing, exclusive outcrossing, and mixed mating systems. Even though selfing can have negative consequences on natural populations, it has been proposed that plants having a predominantly selfing strategy are also associated with fast development strategies through time limitation mechanisms that allow them to complete their life cycle before the onset of severe drought. This relationship might be affected by the challenges imposed by global change, such as a decrease in pollinator availability and the earlier and more severe onset of droughts. In this work, our aim was to investigate whether selfing is correlated with a dehydration avoidance strategy, and how this could affect drought resistance and survival in two species with different types of selfing: pollinator-independent delayed selfing (Schizanthus grahamii) and pollinator-dependent selfing (Schizanthus hookeri), representing a gradient in selfing rates. We hypothesize that delayed selfing species and highly selfing populations will show “fast” plant traits whereas we will find no pattern in more outcrossed populations of the pollinator-dependent species. However, we predicted that high selfing populations would have lower survival rates when exposed to chronic drought early in their development since fast traits imply physiological compromises that will affect their drought survival. To evaluate these hypotheses, we characterized different physiological and morphological traits in response to two contrasting treatments (moist and dry) in a total of six populations of the two species. We found a relationship between the delayed selfing species and a dehydration avoidance strategy and also with low drought survival. Our work offers evidence to support the importance of abiotic factors, such as drought, on the possible variation in selfing rates on natural populations, and the effect that this mating system could have in their ability to face new environmental conditions such as those imposed by climate change.

La manipulación con fines científicos de vertebrados terrestres en poblaciones naturales chilenas se debe realizar previa autorización del SAG y de Comités de Bioética institucionales. Obtener dichas autorizaciones es cada vez más complejo; los trámites no se adecúan al quehacer científico ni al conocimiento sobre el efecto de la manipulación en las poblaciones naturales. El objetivo de este comentario es contribuir a una discusión en pos del establecimiento de una normativa de manipulación científica de vertebrados terrestres ajustada a la realidad biológica y que no entorpezca la investigación científica.

There are two heuristic explanations proposed for the evolution of endothermy in vertebrates: a correlated response to selection for stable body temperatures, or as a correlated response to increased activity. Parental care has been suggested as a major driving force in this context given its impact on the parents' activity levels and energy budgets, and in the offspring's growth rates due to food provisioning and controlled incubation temperature. This results in a complex scenario involving multiple traits and transgenerational fitness benefits that can be hard to disentangle, quantify and ultimately test. Here we demonstrate how standard quantitative genetic models of maternal effects can be applied to study the evolution of endothermy, focusing on the interplay between daily energy expenditure (DEE) of the mother and growth rates of the offspring. Our model shows that maternal effects can dramatically exacerbate evolutionary responses to selection in comparison to regular univariate models (breeder's equation). This effect would emerge from indirect selection mediated by maternal effects concomitantly with a positive genetic covariance between DEE and growth rates. The multivariate nature of selection, which could favor a higher DEE, higher growth rates or both, might partly explain how high turnover rates were continuously favored in a self-reinforcing process. Overall, our quantitative genetic analysis provides support for the parental care hypothesis for the evolution of endothermy. We contend that much has to be gained from quantifying maternal and developmental effects on metabolic and thermoregulatory variation during adulthood.

Many physiological adjustments occur in response to salt intake in several marine taxa, which manifest at different scales from changes in the concentration of individual molecules to physical traits of whole organisms. Little is known about the influence of salinity on the distribution, physiological performance, and ecology of passerines; specifically, the impact of drinking water salinity on the oxidative status of birds has been largely ignored. In this study, we evaluated whether experimental variations in the salt intake of a widely-distributed passerine (Zontotrichia capensis) could generate differences in basal (BMR) and maximum metabolic rates (Msum), as well as affect metabolic enzyme activity and oxidative status. We measured rates of energy expenditure of birds after 30-d acclimation to drink salt (SW) or tap (fresh) water (TW) and assessed changes in the activity of mitochondrial enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase) in skeletal muscle, heart, and kidney. Finally, we evaluated the oxidative status of bird tissues by means of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase activities and lipid oxidative damage (Malondialdehyde, MDA). The results revealed a significant increase in BMR but not Msum, which resulted in a reduction in factorial aerobic scope in SW- vs. TW-acclimated birds. These changes were paralleled with increased kidney and intestine masses and catabolic activities in tissues, especially in pectoralis muscle. We also found that TAC and MDA concentrations were ~120 and ~400% higher, respectively in the liver of animals acclimated to the SW- vs. TW-treatment. Our study is the first to document changes in the oxidative status in birds that persistently drink saltwater, and shows that they undergo several physiological adjustments that range that range in scale from biochemical capacities (e.g., TAC and MDA) to whole organism traits (e.g., metabolic rates). We propose that the physiological changes observed in Z. capensis acclimated to saltwater could be common phenomena in birds and likely explain selection of prey containing little salt and habitats associated with low salinity.

Complex physiological dynamics have been argued to be a signature of healthy physiological function. Here we test whether the complexity of metabolic rate fluctuations in small endotherms decreases with lower environmental temperatures. To do so, we examine the multifractal temporal scaling properties of the rate of change in oxygen consumption r(VO2), in the laboratory mouse Mus musculus, assessing their long range correlation properties across seven different environmental temperatures, ranging from 0 °C to 30 °C. To do so, we applied multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA), finding that r(VO2) fluctuations show two scaling regimes. For small time scales below the crossover time (approximately 102 s), either monofractal or weak multifractal dynamics are observed depending on whether Ta 15 °C respectively. For larger time scales, r(VO2) fluctuations are characterized by an asymptotic scaling exponent that indicates multifractal anti-persistent or uncorrelated dynamics. For both scaling regimes, a generalization of the multiplicative cascade model provides very good fits for the Renyi exponents τ(q), showing that the infinite number of exponents h(q) can be described by only two independent parameters, a and b. We also show that the long-range correlation structure of r(VO2) time series differs from randomly shuffled series, and may not be explained as an artifact of stochastic sampling of a linear frequency spectrum. These results show that metabolic rate dynamics in a well studied micro-endotherm are consistent with a highly non-linear feedback control system.

Climate change and biological invasions pose one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Most analyses of the potential biological impacts have focused on changes in mean temperature, but changes in thermal variance may also impact native and invasive organisms, although differentially. We assessed the combined effects of the mean and the variance of temperature on the expression of heat shock protein (hsp90) in adults of the invasive fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the native D. gaucha in Mediterranean habitats of central Chile. We observed that, under these experimental conditions, hsp90 mRNA expression was higher in the invasive species but absent in the native one. Apparently, the biogeographic origin and niche conservatisms are playing a role in the heat shock response of these species under different putative scenarios of climate change. We suggest that in order to develop more realistic predictions about the biological impact of climate change and biological invasions, one must consider the interactions between the mean and variance of climatic variables, as well as the evolutionary original conditions of the native and invasive species.

A los 150 años de la publicación de "El origen de las especies" de Charles Darwin, numerosos homenajes se han realizado en diferentes ciudades del mundo. Sin embargo, es importante preguntarse hacia el seno de la comunidad científica acerca del alcance efectivo del darwinisimo dentro de la biología. En este trabajo analizamos este supuesto intentando responder, al menos de una manera aproximativa, la pregunta: ¿es darwinista la biología en la actualidad? A estos fines, consideramos algunos de los principales aportes que suelen asignarse al darwinismo en las ciencias de los sistemas vivos: el análisis y centro en la diversidad, un origen único de los sistemas vivos, la incorporación del azar y el reconocimiento de las causas proximales. En términos generales detectamos importantes líneas de continuidad entre el darwinismo y las diferentes disciplinas que componen a la biología contemporánea. Sin embargo, esta situación dista de ser general y no ocurre para todas las ideas analizadas. En este sentido, en algunas áreas del conocimiento el darwinismo solo se ha filtrado mediante la implementación de recortes significativos (tal como el caso de la reducción de los procesos evolutivos a la selección natural), o bien a través de aspectos que aún no son debidamente incorporados en la investigación científica (tal como en el caso del estudio de la variabilidad). Por lo tanto, la futura incorporación de estos elementos se presenta como un desafío importante para lograr una biología integradora.After 150 years of the publication of the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, a number of tributes had honored him worldwide. However, it seems important to ask about the effective application of Darwin's ideas within the biological disciplines. Herein we analyze this problem trying to answer the question: is contemporary biology Darwinian? To this end, we consider some of the main assumed contributions of Darwinism to the sciences of living systems: the analysis and focus on diversity, the single origin of living systems, the incorporation of chance, and the recognition of proximal causes. In general, we detect important lines of continuity between Darwinian ideas and the different disciplines forming contemporary biology. However, the above is not equally applicable to all Darwinian ideas. Indeed, some aspects of Darwinism have been either incorporated only partially (e.g., variability) or interpreted in a biased manner (e.g., reducing the whole evolutionary process to natural selection) in different biological fields. Therefore, the coherent incorporation of such aspects remains as an important challenge in the way towards an integrative biology.

Rodents from arid and semiarid environments live under conditions where the spatial and temporal availability of water is limited. Octodon degus is a South-American desert-dwelling rodent inhabiting arid and semiarid habitats of central and northern Chile. Its survival depends on morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow water conservation. This rodent has a high urine concentrating ability, high capacity of fecal dehydration and low evaporative water loss, related to the ability of the nasal passages to condense water from the exhaled air; this water must be absorbed in order to avoid its accumulation in the nasal passages and potential loss through the nostrils. We hypothesize that aquaporins (AQPs) might be present in the nasal mucosa; therefore, we studied the distribution of AQP-1, AQP-2, AQP-3 and AQP-4 through immunocytochemistry. Intense AQP-1 labeling was observed throughout the subepithelial vascular network; no AQP-1 immunoreactivity was detected in olfactory and non-olfactory epithelial cells. No signal was detected for AQP-2 and 4. AQP-3 distribution was restricted to the surface non-olfactory epithelial cells lining the turbinates in narrow passages and blind spaces. Therefore, AQP-1 and AQP-3 coincided at the level of the turbinates, although in different cell types which suggest a pathway for water removal from the nasal surface first through AQP-3 in non-olfactory epithelial cells and then into the capillary lumen through AQP-1Los roedores de ambientes áridos y semiáridos viven bajo una disponibilidad limitada de agua tanto espacial como temporal. Octodon degus es un roedor sudamericano que habita ambientes áridos y semiáridos del norte y zona central de Chile. Su supervivencia depende de adaptaciones morfológicas, fisiológicas y conductuales que permiten optimizar la conservación de agua. Este tiene una alta capacidad de concentración urinaria y de deshidratación de la fecas además de una baja tasa de evaporación pulmocutánea, relacionada con la capacidad de los pasajes nasales para condensar agua contenida en el aire espirado; el agua condensada debe ser absorbida en orden de evitar su acumulación y potencial pérdida por las fosas nasales. Nuestra hipótesis es que el epitelio de los pasajes nasales expresaría acuaporinas (AQPs) que podrían servir como una vía rápida de absorción del agua condensada. Se estudió la distribución de AQP-1, AQP-2, AQP-3 y AQP-4 mediante inmunocitoquímica en cortes provenientes de animales controles y sometidos a un periodo de restricción acuosa. Se detectó abundante inmunorreactividad para AQP-1 en la red vascular subepitelial, no se detectó expresión de AQP-1 en el epitelio de los pasajes nasales. No se detectó ni AQP-2 ni AQP-4 en el mismo epitelio. Se detectó inmunorreactividad para AQP-3 en el epitelio no olfatorio que recubre los turbinales en pasajes nasales estrechos y ciegos. No se evidenciaron cambios en la abundancia de inmunorreactividad para AQP-3 entre ambos grupos. La inmunorreactividad para AQP-1 subepitelial y para AQP-3 epitelial coincide a nivel de los turbinales, aunque en diferentes tipos celulares; ello sugiere que estas acuaporinas podrían servir como una vía para la absorción de agua desde la superficie de los pasajes nasales, vía AQP-3 hacia los capilares subepiteliales a través de AQP-1

Determining habitat conditions that generate individual physiological variability represents key basic knowledge to understand the direction of animal's responses to habitat change. The coastal fish Scartichthys viridis inhabits low intertidal pools along the Chilean coast. Because seawater in the low intertidal is renewed during every tidal cycle, this zone is characterized by a low thermal variation and abundant food within and between localities. We evaluated whether seawater thermal conditions and food availability of low intertidal pools registered in three localities of Chilean coast are sufficient to generate physiological and energetic differences in individuals of S. viridis captured from three geographic separate populations spanning approximately 1,200 km. Southern fishes acclimatized to 25 °C showed higher metabolic rates than those from other localities and thermal treatments. On the other hand, southern fishes in natural conditions showed higher condition factor than northern fishes. This evidence is sufficient to indicate that slight latitudinal differences in tidepool seawater temperature associated to differential food availability induced an energetic constraint in this species. Moreover, southern population of S. viridis may suffer important effects on energetic allocation if seawater temperature increases slightly, with repercussions on its geographic distribution in southern Pacific OceanDeterminar las condiciones del ambiente que generan variabilidad fisiológica, representa un conocimiento básico para comprender el sentido de la respuesta de los animales a los cambios en su habitat. El pez costero Scartichthys viridis habita las pozas bajas del intermareal a lo largo de la costa chilena. Debido a que el agua de mar se renueva en cada ciclo de marea en las pozas bajas, esta zona está caracterizada por una baja variación térmica y abundante alimento entre localidades. Nosotros evaluamos si las condiciones térmicas y la disponibilidad de alimento descrita para pozas bajas registradas en tres localidades de la costa chilena son suficientes para generar diferencias fisiológicas y energéticas en individuos de S. viridis capturados desde tres poblaciones separadas geográficamente por aproximadamente 1.200 km. Los peces del sur aclimatados a 25 °C mostraron una tasa metabólica mayor que los peces de las otras localidades y tratamientos. Por otra parte, en el ambiente natural, los peces del sur mostraron un factor de condición mayor que los peces del norte. Esta evidencia es suficiente para indicar que suaves diferencias latitudinales en la temperatura del agua de las pozas intermareales, asociado a una disponibilidad diferencial de alimento, promueven restricciones energéticas en esta especie. Más aun, las poblaciones del sur de S. viridis podrían sufrir importantes efectos en su asignación energética si la temperatura del agua incrementa suavemente, lo que repercutiría en su distribución geográfica en el océano Pacífico sur

Bile acids (BAs) regulate energy expenditure by activating G-protein Coupled Bile Acid Receptor Gpbar1/TGR5 by cAMP-dependent mechanisms. Cholecystectomy (XGB) increases BAs recirculation rates resulting in increased tissue exposure to BAs during the light phase of the diurnal cycle in mice. We aimed to determine: 1) the effects of XGB on basal metabolic rate (BMR) and 2) the roles of TGR5 on XGB-dependent changes in BMR.BMR was determined by indirect calorimetry in wild type and Tgr5 deficient (Tgr5-/-) male mice. Bile flow and BAs secretion rates were measured by surgical diversion of biliary duct. Biliary BAs and cholesterol were quantified by enzymatic methods. BAs serum concentration and specific composition was determined by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Gene expression was determined by qPCR analysis.XGB increased biliary BAs and cholesterol secretion rates, and elevated serum BAs concentration in wild type and Tgr5-/- mice during the light phase of the diurnal cycle. BMR was ~25% higher in cholecystectomized wild type mice (p

We tested the role of dietary shifts (from rodents to fruits and to mixed diets) on the nutritional ecology of the culpeo fox Pseudalopex culpaeus, a native canid of South America. We studied the effects of food quality on digestive processes, nutrition, and mass balance, and the implications of diet quality for fox survival. We observed at the end of the nutritional trials that body mass differed significantly between the three diet groups (fruits, rats and mixed diets), while percentage of body mass change differed significantly only in the fruit diet treatment. Foxes fed with fruits consumed more food to meet their dietary and metabolic needs. Across diets, dry-matter as well as energy digestibility increased significantly with diet quality. Also, mean retention time was negatively and significantly correlated with dry-matter intake. We put forth that mixed diet may yield higher assimilation efficiencies and hence higher nutrient intakes than those predicted from the ingestion and assimilation of pure diets (i.e,. only rats, only fruits). We hypothesize that during periods of low availability of mammalian prey, a mixed diet should yield a positive energy/mass balance for the fox. We conclude that temporal and spatial variation in nutrient, energy, and water contents of prey available in a given habitat could have an important effect on fox nutrition, energy use, and mass balance. Finally, we postulate that P. culpaeus could not survive on fruits only past seven daysSometimos a prueba el papel del cambio de dieta (desde roedores a frutos y dieta mixta) sobre la ecología nutricional del zorro culpeo Pseudalopex culpaeus, especie nativa de Sudamérica. Estudiamos el efecto de la calidad del alimento sobre los procesos digestivos, nutrición, balance de masas y las implicancias de la calidad de la dieta sobre la sobrevivencia de los zorros. La masa corporal al final de los ensayos nutricionales difirió significativamente entre los tres grupos de dietas (frutos, ratas y dieta mixta), en tanto que el porcentaje de cambio en masa corporal solo fue significativo en el caso de la dieta de frutos. Los zorros alimentados con frutos consumieron más alimento para satisfacer sus necesidades dietarias y metabólicas. Tanto la ingesta de materia seca como la digestibilidad se incrementaron significativamente con la calidad de la dieta. Más aún, el tiempo de retención promedio estuvo negativa y significativamente correlacionado con la ingesta de materia seca. Pensamos que la dieta mixta puede entregar mayores eficiencias de asimilación y por lo tanto mayores ingestas de nutrientes que lo predicho por la ingesta y asimilación de dietas puras (i.e., solo ratas, solo frutos). Proponemos la hipótesis que durante períodos de baja disponibilidad de presas (micromamíferos) una ingesta de dieta mixta podría entregar un balance energía/masa positivo para los zorros. Concluímos que la variación temporal y espacial de nutrientes, energía y contenido de agua presente en las presas disponibles en un determinado hábitat puede tener un importante efecto sobre la nutrición, uso de energía y balance de masa de los zorros. Finalmente, postulamos que P. culpaeus no puede sobrevivir con una dieta exclusivamente de frutos mas allá de siete días

In this paper we studied the energetic expenditure and thermoregulation of the Chilean mouse-opossum Thylamys elegans (Dielphidae) a nocturnal small marsupial, endemic of southern South America. We studied their standard energetic and determined whether they exhibit shallow daily torpor or deep prolonged torpor as a function of ambient temperature and food availability. Thylamys elegans partially supports the hypothesis that Neotropical marsupials have somewhat a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR) and thermal conductance (Cm) than Australian ones. In fact, BMR was higher but Cm was lower than expected for their body mass. The higher mass-independent BMR of the Chilean mouse-opossum may be explained by its insectivorous food habits and its low Cm by its temperate habitats. Euthermic Chilean mouse-opossum showed daily fluctuations in body temperature being significantly higher during night time. In addition T. elegans entered in daily torpor and aroused spontaneously only was food was absent. That is, this species display a facultative type of daily torpor because propensity to enter in torpor was dependent of the combination of food absence and low ambient temperature. No torpor was observed when food was available. During torpor ambient temperature was slightly above ambient temperature between 0.3 to 0.5 °C. Torpor in this species as well as in marsupials in general, appears to be a flexible and an opportunistic response to unpredictable environmental conditionsEstudiamos la energética y termorregulación de Thylamys elegans o "yaca" (Dielphidae) un marsupial pequeño y endémico de Sudamérica. Estudiamos su energética estándar y determinamos si presentan estados de sopor superficial o profundo en función de la temperatura ambiente y la disponibilidad de alimento. Thylamys elegans apoya de manera parcial la hipótesis que sostiene que los marsupiales Neotropicales poseen tasas metabólicas basales (BMR) y conductancias térmicas (Cm) mas altas que los Australianos. En efecto BMR fue alta pero Cm fue menor que la esperada para la masa corporal. La BMR masa-independiente elevada de la yaca podría ser explicada por sus hábitos tróficos insectívoros y su Cm baja por vivir en hábitat templados. Durante eutermia la yaca muestra fluctuaciones en la temperatura corporal siendo significativamente mayores durante la noche. Además, T. elegans entra y sale del sopor diario en forma espontánea solamente en ausencia de alimento. Es decir, esta especie muestra sopor del tipo facultativo pues este dependió de la interacción entre la ausencia de alimento y la temperatura ambiental. No se observaron estados de sopor cuando existió alimento disponible Durante el sopor la temperatura del cuerpo entre 0,3 a 0,5 °C superior a la del ambiente. El sopor en esta especie así como en marsupiales en general parece ser una respuesta flexible y oportunista a la variabilidad del ambiente

Birds living in desert environments have been the preferred models for the study of physiological adaptations to water scarcity. Passerine birds living in marine coastal habitats face similar problems, yet physiological adaptations to water conservation in such species have been poorly documented. We measured total evaporative water loss (TEWL) and rates of oxygen consumption (VO2) in three species of passerine birds dwelling in marine and fresh water habitats. Mass specific total evaporative water loss was significantly lower in the marine species, Cinclodes nigrofumosus, than in species inhabiting areas near freshwater sources. We found a positive relationship between TEWL and VO2. The ratio of TEWL to VO2 (relative evaporative water loss, RTEWL) showed significant variation among Cinclodes species, and was highest for the fresh-water living species, C. oustaleti and C. fuscus. The variation in TEWL found in Cinclodes is likely a consequence of differential exploitation of marine prey with high osmotic loads, which, in turn, may impose the need for water conservationLas aves que habitan ambientes desérticos han sido modelos de estudio preferidos para el estudio de adaptaciones fisiológicas a la escasez de agua. Las aves paseriformes que habitan hábitat costeros enfrentan problemas similares, aunque las posibles adaptaciones fisiológicas para la conservación de agua en dichas especies han sido pobremente documentadas. En este estudio se determinó la pérdida total de agua por evaporación (TEWL) y la tasa de consumo de oxígeno (VO2) en tres especies de aves paseriformes que habitan ambientes marinos y de agua dulce. La pérdida total de agua por evaporación masa-específica fue significativamente menor en la especie marina, Cinclodes nigrofumosus, que en especies que habitan áreas cercanas a fuentes de agua dulce. Se encontró una relación positiva y significativa entre TEWL y VO2. La razón entre TEWL y el VO2 (pérdida relativa de agua por evaporación, RTEWL) presentó una variación significativa entre las especies de Cinclodes, siendo mayor para las especies de agua dulce C. oustaleti y C. fuscus. La variación en TEWL encontrada en Cinclodes es probablemente una consecuencia de la explotación diferencial de presas marinas con una alta carga osmótica, lo que a su vez, puede imponer la necesidad de conservación de agua

En el presente trabajo investigamos aspectos de la ecología y conducta de forrajeo de Acanthina monodon, un gastrópodo murícido que habita en el intermareal rocoso de Chile central. En terreno, estudiamos las variaciones temporales en su distribución, densidad y dieta. En el laboratorio, cuantificamos la tasa de consumo, las preferencias alimentarias, el tiempo de ingestión y la rentabilidad energética obtenida con distintos tipos de presas mediante experimentos y registros en video. Las mayores densidades de individuos de A. monodon fueron observadas en la franja intermareal cercana al nivel cero de marea. En terreno, A. monodon realiza sus actividades de forrajeo principalmente durante la noche y su dieta consistió principalmente de mitílidos (95 %) y cirripedios (5 %). La composición de la dieta de A. monodon en terreno presentó variaciones temporales las cuales dependerían principalmente de cambios en la oferta de los distintos tipos de mitílidos presentes en terreno durante los dos años de muestreo. En el laboratorio, los individuos de Acanthina presentaron preferencias alimentarias significativas por el mitílido Semimytilus algosus. En general, A. monodon bajo condiciones de laboratorio presentó una conducta de forrajeo en la cual maximizó la ganancia neta de energía, mediante la selección de las especies y tamaños de presas que le retribuyen la mayor rentabilidad energéticaWe investigated the ecology and foraging behavior of Acanthina monodon, a muricid gastropod that inhabits in the intertidal rocky shores of central Chile. In the field, we studied temporal variation of their spatial distribution, density, and diet composition. While in the laboratory, we quantified the consumption rate, alimentary preferences, ingestion times and energy profitability obtained with different types of prey using experiments and video recording. High densities of A. monodon individuals were observed in the intertidal fringe near at the level tide zero. In the field, A. monodon actively foraged at night preying mainly on mussels (95 %) and barnacles (5 %). Temporal variation in diet composition of A. monodon was caused mostly by changes in the cover of different mussel species during the two years of sampling. In the laboratory, individual of A. monodon showed significant preference for the mussel Semimytilus algosus. In these experiments, A. monodon's foraging behavior maximized the net gain of energy by selecting species and sizes of prey that provided the greatest energy profitability

Studies of phenotypic flexibility are central to the understanding of evolutionary and comparative physiology. Research conducted on many vertebrate species has shown that the digestive system is highly responsive and sensitive to environmental cues. However, amphibians, which are a standard and classic model organism for the study of many physiological processes, have been poorly considered in the study of ecological consequences on digestive flexibility. Here we review and analyze the current information on this topic for amphibians. We identify three major bodies of empirical evidence: a) seasonal changes in gut development, b) lack of dietary modulation of gut attributes in adult individuals, c) a relationship between feeding habits and the magnitude of digestive performance regulation. Once the natural history characteristics of the species under study are taken into account, all the evidence is in full agreement with the predictions of digestive theory. We propose that evolutionary and comparative physiology could benefit greatly from the study of phenotypic flexibility in amphibians

We discuss the concept of Enaction as originally proposed by Varela. We attempt to exemplify through two specific topics, sensory ecology and behavior, as well as physiological and behavioral ecology, on which the enactive approach is based. We argue that sensory physiology allows us to explore the biological and cognitive meaning of animal 'private' sensory channels, beyond the scope of our own sensory capacity. Furthermore, after analyzing the interplay between factors that may impose limits upon an animal's use of time and energy, we call for a program of research in integrative and comparative biology that simultaneously considers evolutionary ecology (including physiological and behavioral ecology) and neurobiology (including cognitive mechanisms as well structural design). We believe that this approach represents a shift in scientific attitude among biologists concerning the place of biological and ecological topics in studies of integrative and comparative biology and biological diversity and vice versa

We present an analysis of behavioral flexibility in a day-active caviomorph rodent, the degu, Octodon degus, in response to temporal (daily and seasonal), spatial, and thermal heterogeneity of its environment. We quantified activity and foraging behavior in a population, together with thermal conditions, in an open habitat in the seasonally hot and arid matorral of central Chile. Summer activity was bimodal, with a gap of more than 8 h between the morning bout of 2.5 h of intensive foraging and the afternoon bout of 2 h. More than half of the 4.5 h of summer activity occurred in the shade of early morning or late afternoon when the sun was below the local skyline. Autumn and spring activity were also bimodal, but with greater proportions of activity under direct solar radiation, and with a shorter midday gap between the two major bouts. Winter activity was unimodal and all occurred under direct solar radiation. In summer, autumn, and spring the activity of degus was curtailed as our index of operative temperature, Te, moved above 40 ºC. We used a single measurement of Te (measured in a thermal mannequin representing degu size, shape and surface properties) as an index of the interactive effects of solar radiation and convection on body temperature. At the winter solstice (June), when degus remained fully exposed to solar radiation throughout the day, Te generally remained below 30 ºC. Flexibility in the timing of surface activity allows degus to maintain thermal homeostasis and energy balance throughout the year. Degus shift the times of daily onset and end of activity and the number of major bouts (unimodal or bimodal) over the course of the year. They remain active on the surface under a much narrower range or "window" of thermal conditions than those that occur over the entire broad range of the day and yearPresentamos un análisis de la flexibilidad conductual en la actividad diaria del degu (Octodon degus), un roedor caviomorfo, en respuesta a la heterogeneidad del ambiente temporal (diario y estacional), espacial y térmico. Junto con las condiciones térmicas, cuantificamos la conducta de actividad y forrajeo en una población que vive en un hábitat abierto en el matorral árido y estacional de Chile central. La actividad de verano fue bimodal, con 2,5 h de actividad de forrajeo intenso durante la mañana y con 2 h durante la tarde. No hubo actividad por mas de 8 h entre ambos eventos. Más de la mitad de las 4,5 h diarias de actividad de la mañana y de la tarde ocurrieron en la sombra, cuando el sol se encuentra bajo la línea local del cielo. La actividad durante el otoño y la primavera también fue bimodal pero con una mayor proporción de actividad bajo radiación solar directa y con un período de inactividad menor entre los dos eventos principales. La actividad de invierno fue unimodal y bajo radiación solar directa. En verano, otoño y primavera la actividad estuvo sesgada cuando nuestro índice de temperatura operativa, Te, superó los 40 °C. Usamos una medida de Te (registrada en un maniquí térmico que representa las propiedades de forma, tamaño y superficie de un degu) como un índice de los efectos interactivos de la radiación solar y la convección sobre la temperatura corporal. Durante el solsticio de invierno (junio), cuando los degus permanecieron todo el día totalmente expuestos al sol, Te generalmente permaneció bajo 30 °C. La flexibilidad en el tiempo de la actividad superficial le permitió a los degus mantener su homeostasis térmica y balance de energía anual. Los degus cambiaron sus períodos de inicio y término así como el número de eventos de actividad (unimodal o bimodal) durante el año. Estos roedores permanecieron activos en la superficie bajo un rango mucho más estrecho de condiciones térmicas que las que ocurren durante el largo del día y año

We present an analysis of time and energy allocation in a day-active caviomorph rodent, the degu, Octodon degus, in central Chile. We quantified components of surface activity in the field on a daily basis in individual degus near the time of the summer solstice, when conditions of heat and aridity were also at a seasonal extreme, in order to answer the following questions. Does the absolute time available for surface activity limit performance? Does the allocation of time and energy for locomotion place a functionally significant limitation on overall energy balance and performance? Degus spent about 2/3 of their above-ground time foraging; they remained stationary about 88 % of the time, walked around slowly about 10 %, and were running rapidly from one point to another only about 2 % of the time. Net locomotion costs (for walking and running combined) were computed to be only 2.2 % of total daily energy expenditure. This low net allocation of time and energy to locomotion, taken together with abundant distribution of plant food over the extremely small home range, suggests that the daily performance of degus is not limited by the absolute amount of time available under normal conditions at the summer solstice (seasonal extreme of day length, heat, and aridity). Total energy demands can be met by as little as 4.5 h surface activity per day. Our empirical observations, together with a simple computational model of time and energy expenditure, provide a useful validation of the impact of activity on the overall energy balance of a free-living rodent. The small impact of locomotion on the total energy budget is an economy of the behavior of these animals, and the rapid mode of locomotion allows them to minimize predation risks. We believe that this kind of quantitative analysis of energy expenditure associated with behavior in the field can contribute a useful basis for theoretically based time-energy modelingPresentamos un análisis de la asignación de tiempo y energía en un roedor caviomorfo diurno el degu, Octodon degus, en Chile central. Cuantificamos los componentes de actividad superficial en el campo sobre una base diaria durante el solsticio de verano en condiciones de calor y aridez extrema, para contestar la siguiente pregunta: ¿el tiempo absoluto disponible para la actividad superficial limita el rendimiento? ¿la asignación de tiempo y energía a locomoción juega un limitación funcional significativa en el presupuesto de energía total y en el rendimiento? Los degus permanecen forrajeando cerca de 2/3 de su tiempo fuera de las cuevas; están estacionarios cerca de 88 % del tiempo, caminan cerca del 10 %, y corren rápidamente de un punto a otro solamente un 2 % del tiempo. Los costos netos de locomoción (caminando y corriendo) fueron calculados en 2,2 % del gasto energético total. Esta baja asignación neta de tiempo y energía a locomoción, junto a la abundante distribución de alimento en un ámbito de hogar pequeño, sugieren que el rendimiento diario de los degus no está limitado por el tiempo absoluto disponible bajo condiciones normales en el solsticio de verano (extremo estacional de largo del día, calor y aridez). Las demandas de energía totales se lograrían con 4,5 h de actividad superficial por día. Las observaciones empíricas, junto a un modelo simple de gasto de energía y tiempo entregan una validación simple de la actividad del balance de energía total en roedores de vida libre. El bajo impacto de la locomoción sobre el presupuesto de energía total representa una economía en la conducta de estos animales, los rápidos modos de locomoción minimizarían el riego de predación. Postulamos que estos análisis cuantitativos de gasto de energía asociados con la conducta de campo contribuirían a la modelación teórica del uso de tiempo y energía

In scatter-hoarding species, several behavioral and neuroanatomical adaptations allow them to store and retrieve thousands of food items per year. Nectarivorous animals face a similar scenario having to remember quality, location and replenishment schedules of several nectar sources. In the green-backed firecrown hummingbird (Sephanoides sephanoides), males are territorial and have the ability to accurately keep track of nectar characteristics of their defended food sources. In contrast, females display an opportunistic strategy, performing rapid intrusions into males territories. In response, males behave aggressively during the non-reproductive season. In addition, females have higher energetic demands due to higher thermoregulatory costs and travel times. The natural scenario of this species led us to compared cognitive abilities and hippocampal size between males and females. Males were able to remember nectar location and renewal rates significantly better than females. However, the hippocampal formation was significantly larger in females than males. We discuss these findings in terms of sexually dimorphic use of spatial resources and variable patterns of brain dimorphisms in birds.

Global climate change poses one of the greatest threats to species persistence. Most analyses of the potential biological impacts have focused on changes in mean temperature, but changes in thermal variance will also impact organisms and populations. We assessed the effects of acclimation to daily variance of temperature on dispersal and exploratory behavior in the terrestrial isopod Porcellio laevis in an open field. Acclimation treatments were 24 ± 0, 24 ± 4 and 24 ± 8 °C. Because the performance of ectotherms relates nonlinearly to temperature, we predicted that animals acclimated to a higher daily thermal variation should minimize the time exposed in the centre of open field, --i.e. increase the linearity of displacements. Consistent with our prediction, isopods acclimated to a thermally variable environment reduce their exploratory behaviour, hypothetically to minimize their exposure to adverse environmental conditions. This scenario as well as the long latency of animals after releases acclimated to variable environments is consistent with this idea. We suggested that to develop more realistic predictions about the biological impacts of climate change, one must consider the interactions between the mean and variance of environmental temperature on animals' performance.

La herbivoría en aves es una estrategia poco común. Solo el 3% de las aves actuales consumen plantas como fuente de energía. Tanto la composición química de las plantas como las restricciones asociadas al vuelo y digestión en aves pueden explicar el reducido número de pequeños endotermos, como las aves, que son herbívoros. Nuestro objetivo es explicar como las aves herbívoras satisfacen sus requerimientos nutricionales y energéticos cuando consumen dietas extremadamente pobres. Para lo cual nos centramos en Phytotoma rara (Phytotomidae), posiblemente el ave herbívora más pequeña. Phytotoma rara presenta numerosas características, como el rápido tiempo de transito, un efectivo rompimiento de la pared celular, y la alta y constante actividad de las enzimas digestivas, que le permiten disponer de nutrientes y energía celulares, sin los costos energéticos asociados al desarrollo de estructuras anatómicas de fermentación bacteriana o lentos tiempos de transito. Estos son posiblemente adaptaciones cruciales en la evolución de la herbivoría en aves pequeñas.Herbivory is a rare strategy in birds. Only 3% of extant birds exploit plant material as an energy source. Both plant chemical composition and bird constraints associated to flight and digestion may explain why herbivory is so scarce in small endotherms such as birds. Here we tackle the question of how herbivorous birds meet energy/nutrient requirements when feeding on extremely poor diets. We focus on Phytotoma rara (Phytotomidae), possibly the smallest herbivorous bird. From our mini-review we conclude that several features such as the fast passage rates, an effective physical breakdown of cell walls, and constant and high activities of digestive enzymes make available the highly nutritious cell contents to the small herbivore, without the energy costs of anatomical structures for bacterial fermentation or slow passage rates. These are possible crucial adaptations in the evolution of herbivory in small birds.

El gastrópodo Nodilittorina peruviana es un habitante común de la zona intermareal rocosa de la costa norte y centro de Chile. Las poblaciones de esta especie se caracterizan por presentar distribuciones agregadas. Por medio de mediciones de terreno y ensayos de laboratorio se evaluó la influencia de la agregación sobre las habilidades de termorregulación y conservación de agua, en individuos pertenecientes a dos localidades de la costa de Chile que presentan distintos regímenes termales (Taltal 25º 25' S; 70º 29' W y Las Cruces 33º 35' S; 71º 38' W). Los resultados indican que la influencia de la agregación sobre las habilidades termorregulatorias es dependiente de las condiciones locales. A pesar de que los individuos de ambas localidades presentaron puntos de tolerancia térmica similares, los caracoles de Taltal mostraron tasas de pérdidas de agua menores. El tamaño de las agregaciones se relacionó en forma negativa con la tasa de pérdida de agua de los individuos de ambas localidades. En el caso de Taltal se observó un límite de tolerancia menor que en Las Cruces y una relación positiva entre tamaño de la agregación y temperatura grupal. Los resultados demuestran que las condiciones ambientales locales puede ser determinante para la efectividad de los mecanismos de termorregulación.The gastropod Nodilittorina peruviana inhabit rocky intertidal of the north and center Chile. Populations of this species exhibits aggregated distributions. Through field and lab records we studied the effect of spatial distribution of snails on their thermoregulatory and water conservation efficiencies. We studied individuals from two localities of the Chilean coast with different climatic conditions (Taltal 25° 25 ` S; 70° 29 ` W and Las Cruces 33° 35 ` S; 71° 38 ` W). Results indicate that the influence of spatial distribution thermoregulatory efficiency is dependent of the local conditions. Although individuals from both localities presented similar thermal tolerances, snails from Taltal showed lower rates of water loss. Aggregations size were negatively related with the rate of water loss in individuals from both localities. Only, individuals from Taltal decreased their limit of thermal tolerance, and exhibited a positive relationship between aggregation size and the temperature of the group. Results demonstrated that the local environmental conditions are determinate thermoregulatory strategies.

Studies on water balance in desert-dwelling granivorous rodents use evaporative water loss (EWL) and metabolic water production (MWP) to evaluate the efficiency of water regulation, expressed by the model Ta @ MWP = EWL, defined by an ambient temperature (Ta) value at (@) which MWP/EWL = 1. Here we evaluate and apply this model (1 - r²) determining water regulation efficiency, based on the energetic cost (MR) to maintain water balance (WB), that is MR-WB. To test the model, EWL was measured and MWP estimated in nine species of rodents from different localities of northern and north-central Chile (II and IV Regions): Octodon degus (Od) and O. lunatus (Olu) (Octodontidae), Abrothrix olivaceus (Ao), A. longipilis (Al), A. andinus (Ad), Phyllotis darwini (Pd), P. rupestris (Pr), P. magister (Pm), Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Ol) (Muridae) and Chinchilla lanigera (Cl) (Chinchillidae). Literature information on rodents from xeric and mesic habitats was also analyzed. Results indicate that: 1) Cl has the lowest EWL (0.58 mg H2O/g h), followed by Od < Olu < Ao < Pd < Pm < Pr < Ad < Al < Ol. 2) EWL and body mass (M) are related through independent equations considering two distinctive habitats: EWL (xeric)= 5.968 M-0.416 (r = -0.89; P < 0.001) and EWL (mesic) = 17.272 M -0.532 (r = -0.85; P < 0.001). 3) MWP and M are related through the equation: MWP = 14.256 M--0.539 (r = - 0.98; P< 0.001). 4) At the intraspecific level , MWP/EWL and Ta are related through a negative exponential equation: MWP/EWL=a 10-bTa (r = -0.95; P< 0.001). 5) Ta @ MWP = EWL and M are related through the equation: T @ (MWP = EWL) = 26.799 M-0.142, (r = - 0.49, P < 0.02). 6) MR-WB and M, are related through independent equations according to the prevailing animal's habitat : MR - WB (xeric) = 34.627 M-0.339 (r = - 0.93; P < 0.001) and MR-WB (mesic) = 68.132 M-0.381 (r = -0.86; P < 0.001). These last two equations have comparative advantages to the previous ones because they include rodents with different dietary habits, are able to discriminate patterns in the water regulation efficiency as a function of different habitats (xeric and mesic), and enable to evaluate the energetic cost of water balance.Para evaluar la eficiencia en la regulación hídrica de roedores granívoros desertícolas se usa la pérdida de agua por evaporación (EWL) y la producción de agua metabólica (MWP), estando esta expresada por el modelo Ta @ MWP = EWL, que representa el valor de una temperatura ambiente (Ta) al cual (@) MWP/EWL = 1. En este trabajo se evalua este modelo (1- r²) y se estima la eficiencia en la regulación de agua basados en el costo energético (MR) de mantención del balance hídrico (WB), es decir MR-WB. Se midió EWL y se estimó MWP en las siguientes nueve especies de roedores de diferente localidades del norte y centro de Chile (Regiones II y IV): Octodon degus (Od) y O. lunatus (Olu) (Octodontidae), Abrothrix olivaceus (Ao), A. longipilis (Al), A. andinus (Ad), Phyllotis darwini (Pd), P. rupestris (Pr), P. magister (Pm), Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Ol) (Muridae) and Chinchilla lanigera (Cl) (Chinchillidae). Se analizó además información de la literatura de roedores de hábitats xericos y mesicos. Los resultados indican que: 1) Cl posee la menor EWL (0,58 mg H2O/g h), seguido por Od < Olu < Ao < Pd < Pm < Pr < Ad < Al < Ol. 2) EWL y masa corporal (M) se relacionan a través de ecuaciones independientes que consideran dos hábitats distintos: EWL (xérico)= 5,968 M-0,416 (r = -0,89; P < 0,001) y EWL (mésico) = 17,272 M -0,532 (r = -0,85; P < 0,001). 3) MWP and M se relacionan por la ecuación: MWP = 14,256 M-0,539 (r = - 0,98; P < 0,001). 4) A un nivel intraespecífico, MWP/EWL y Ta se relacionan a través de una ecuación exponencial negativa: MWP/EWL=a 10-bTa (r = -0,95; P < 0,001). 5) Ta @ MWP = EWL y M se relacionan a través de la ecuación: Ta @ (MWP = EWL) = 26,799 M-0,142, (r = - 0,49, P < 0,02). 6) MR-WB y M, se relacionan por ecuaciones hábitats-dependientes y son: MR - WB (xérico) = 34,627 M-0,339 (r = - 0,93; P < 0,001) y MR-WB (mésico) = 68,132 M-0,381 (r = -0,86; P < 0,001). Estas dos últimas ecuaciones poseen ventajas comparativas con respecto a las anteriores pues incluyen roedores con diferentes hábitos dietarios, son capaces de discriminar patrones de regulación hídrica en función del hábitat (xérico y mésico), y son capaces de evaluar el costo energético del balance hídrico

Chinchilla lanigera, es un roedor endémico de Chile que habita áreas desérticas del norte de Chile. Postulamos que C. lanigera (silvestre) por habitar en ambientes con escasa disponibilidad de alimento y agua, debiera poseer atributos fisiológicos que minimicen los requerimientos (costos) de energía y agua. Se evaluó el metabolismo energético en atmósferas de aire y He-O2, la pérdida de agua por evaporación (EWL) y temperatura corporal (Tb) a diferentes temperaturas ambientales (Ta). Los resultados más relevantes muestran que la tasa metabólica basal (BMR) fue 0,66 mlO2/g h y la conductancia térmica (C) de 0,0376 mlO2/g h°C; valores que corresponden al 80,4% y 72,5% de la magnitud predicha para un mamífero euterio de similar tamaño corporal, respectivamente. La conductancia térmica en atmósfera He-O2 fue 0,089 mlO2/g h°C, siendo la razón C He-O2 /C = 0,089/0,038 = 2,34, el valor más alto descrito para roedores. Esto indicaría que C. lanigera, poseería la aislación térmica más alta documentada a la fecha. Además, la evaporación pulmocutánea (EWL) equivale al 95% del valor esperado para heterómidos. Chinchilla lanigera presenta una clara relación de costo-beneficio y/o compromisos en su capacidad de termorregulación. En efecto, los bajos valores de C y EWL implican costos de termorregulación a altas temperaturas (riesgo de hipertermia), particularmente cuando su hábitat desértico alcanza temperaturas ž 30°C. A la vez, estos bajos valores de C, EWL y BMR constituyen beneficios fisiológicos que favorecen la economía de energía y agua en un hábitat que es xérico y poco productivoChinchilla lanigera, is an endemic rodent inhabiting desert areas of northern Chile. We postulated that wild chinchilla should has a cost-benefit relationship in thermoregulation to cope with desert habitats. We evaluated the energy metabolism in air and He-O2, evaporative water loss (EWL) and body temperature (Tb) at different ambient temperatures (Ta). The most relevant results indicated that the basal metabolic rate (BMR) was 0.66 mlO2/g h and a thermal conductance (C) of 0.0376 mlO2/g h°C; representing a 80.4% and 72.5% of expected values for eutherian mammals respectively. Thermal conductance in He-O2 was 0.089 mlO2/g h°C, being the ratio C He-O2 /C = 0.089/0.038 equal to 2.34, the highest value recorded in rodents, indicating that C. lanigera exhibit the higher thermal insulation reported so far. Besides, the evaporative water loss (EWL) was a 95% of the expected value for heteromiyds. Chinchilla lanigera presents a clear cost-benefit relationships or trade-off in thermoregulation. In fact, the low C and EWL values implicate thermoregulatory costs at high temperatures (risk of hiperthermia), mainly when its desert habitats has temperatures ž 30°C. At the same time these low C, EWL and BMR values represent physiological benefits that allow energy and water economy in a xeric and unproductive habitat

The origin of endothermy is a puzzling phenomenon in the evolution of vertebrates. To address this issue several explicative models have been proposed. The main models proposed for the origin of endothermy are the aerobic capacity, the thermoregulatory and the parental care models. Our main proposal is that to compare the alternative models, a critical aspect is to determine how strongly natural selection was influenced by body temperature, and basal and maximum metabolic rates during the evolution of endothermy. We evaluate these relationships in the context of three main hypotheses aimed at explaining the evolution of endothermy, namely the parental care hypothesis and two hypotheses related to the thermoregulatory model (thermogenic capacity and higher body temperature models). We used data on basal and maximum metabolic rates and body temperature from 17 rodent populations, and used intrinsic population growth rate (R(max)) as a global proxy of fitness. We found greater support for the thermogenic capacity model of the thermoregulatory model. In other words, greater thermogenic capacity is associated with increased fitness in rodent populations. To our knowledge, this is the first test of the fitness consequences of the thermoregulatory and parental care models for the origin of endothermy.

Cognitive ecologist posits that the more efficiently an animal uses information from the biotic and abiotic environment, the more adaptive are its cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, this approach does not test for natural neurodegenerative processes under field or experimental conditions, which may recover animals information processing and decision making and may explain, mechanistically, maladaptive behaviors. Here, we call for integrative approaches to explain the relationship between ultimate and proximate mechanisms behind social behavior. We highlight the importance of using the endemic caviomorph rodent Octodon degus as a valuable natural model for mechanistic studies of social behavior and to explain how physical environments can shape social experiences that might influence impaired cognitive abilities and the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease. We consequently suggest neuroecological approaches to examine how key elements of the environment may affect neural and cognitive mechanisms associated with learning, memory processes and brain structures involved in social behavior. We propose the following three core objectives of a program comprising interdisciplinary research in O. degus, namely: (1) to determine whether diet types provided after weaning can lead to cognitive impairment associated with spatial memory, learning and predisposing to develop Alzheimer disease in younger ages; (2) to examine if early life social experience has long term effects on behavior and cognitive responses and risk for development Alzheimer disease in later life and (3) To determine if an increase of social interactions in adult degu reared in different degree of social stressful conditions alter their behavior and cognitive responses.