Body Size and Metabolic Rate in Salamanders

Whitford, Walter G.; Hutchison, Victor H.

doi:10.1086/physzool.40.2.30152447

Cited by 118 publications

(48 citation statements)

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“…These Q! , values for amphibians are generally similar to those reported for resting and actwe oxygen consumption for these and other amphibians (Q,, = 1.3-2.0) (Whitford & Hutchison, 1967;Hutchison et al, 1968;Seymour, 1973).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Anaerobic metabolism during activity in amphibians

Bennett

Licht

1974

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology

100

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Abstract-1.Total lactate production (anaerobic energetic generation) during maximal activity was measured in eight species of amphibians.2. Slow-moving animals, exemplified by Bufo boreas, produce small amounts of lactate and do not exhaust. In contrast, fast-moving, saltatory forms, such as Rana pipiens and Batrachoseps attenuatzls, have high levels of lactate generation and are unable to sustain maximal activity.3. Aquatic species rely on air gulping during activity and show little anaerobiosis.4. The temperature dependence of anaerobic energy generation is high (Q,, = 1.5-3-9) for all species.5. Levels of amphibian lactate production are lower than those of lizards and show greater interspecific variation.6. The rate of lactate production is directly correlated with predator avoidance. Noxious-tasting or aggressive amphibians have low anaerobic scopes; others rely on anaerobiosis for energy for rapid flight. Rapid activity in amphibians appears possible only at the expense of extensive anaerobiosis.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Anaerobic metabolism during activity in amphibians

Bennett

Licht

1974

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology

100

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“…Consequently, we see no evidence at this time that particularly supports either the 'rheotropic' or the 'buccopharyngeal pump efficiency' scenarios in terms of lung loss in Caecilita. However, we suggest that small body size and high surface-to-volume ratio, the highly vascular tongue, and the presumably low metabolic rate may have facilitated increased dependence on cutaneous/buccal gas exchange (see Elkan 1955Elkan , 1958Czopek 1962;Whitford & Hutchison 1965, 1967Hutchison et al 1968;Bennett & Licht 1973), but for reasons not yet determined. The biology of Caecilita, including lung loss, may have evolved to be similar to that of plethodontids, particularly the slender, elongate, reduced-limbed, burrowing plethodontids (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

A new lungless caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from Guyana

Wake

Donnelly

2009

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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We report the discovery of a single specimen of a small, terrestrial, lungless caecilian, the second known taxon of lungless caecilians. It differs from all other caecilians in lacking open external nares, and from the large aquatic lungless species described by Nussbaum & Wilkinson (Nussbaum, R. A. & Wilkinson, M. 1995 Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 261, 331 -335) in having no significant skull modifications. All modifications are of 'soft morphology' (covered external nares and choanae, lung and pulmonary vessel loss, etc.). A new genus and species are described to accommodate this form. Aspects of its skull and visceral morphology are described and considered in terms of the possible life history and evolution of the species, and compared with those of other lungless amphibians.

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“…For example, lunged salamanders permitted to breath both air and water exhibit steeper metabolic scaling than those allowed to breathe only water [247]. Similarly, lunged salamanders exhibit steeper metabolic scaling than lungless salamanders [248,249]. Pulmonate snails that breathe relatively high-oxygen air also exhibit significantly higher metabolic rates than prosobranch snails of equivalent size that breathe relatively low-oxygen water [250].…”

Section: Causal Interrelationships Among Multiple Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rediscovering and Reviving Old Observations and Explanations of Metabolic Scaling in Living Systems

Glazier

2018

Systems

112

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Why the rate of metabolism varies (scales) in regular, but diverse ways with body size is a perennial, incompletely resolved question in biology. In this article, I discuss several examples of the recent rediscovery and (or) revival of specific metabolic scaling relationships and explanations for them previously published during the nearly 200-year history of allometric studies. I carry out this discussion in the context of the four major modal mechanisms highlighted by the contextual multimodal theory (CMT) that I published in this journal four years ago. These mechanisms include metabolically important processes and their effects that relate to surface area, resource transport, system (body) composition, and resource demand. In so doing, I show that no one mechanism can completely explain the broad diversity of metabolic scaling relationships that exists. Multi-mechanistic models are required, several of which I discuss. Successfully developing a truly general theory of biological scaling requires the consideration of multiple hypotheses, causal mechanisms and scaling relationships, and their integration in a context-dependent way. A full awareness of the rich history of allometric studies, an openness to multiple perspectives, and incisive experimental and comparative tests can help this important quest.

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Body Size and Metabolic Rate in Salamanders

Cited by 118 publications

References 0 publications

Anaerobic metabolism during activity in amphibians

Anaerobic metabolism during activity in amphibians

A new lungless caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) from Guyana

Rediscovering and Reviving Old Observations and Explanations of Metabolic Scaling in Living Systems

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