Reproductive photo-responsiveness in male forest shrews (Myosorex varius) from the Eastern Cape of South Africa

Hoole, C.; McKechnie, Andrew E.; Parker, Daniel M.; Bennett, Nigel C.

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2014.11.001

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 18 publications

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“…Research in the 1970s and 1980s identified the importance of melatonin and the pineal gland in photoperiod-related phenomena (Arendt 1994;Gorman et al 2001), and this work has been extended by recent research only possible with the advent of laboratory tools such as rapid sequencing of biopolymers (amino acids and nucleic acids). For example, our understanding of the role of photoperiod on annual cycles of reproduction (Ninomiya-Alarcón et al 2004;Hoole et al 2016), feeding and body mass (Helwig et al 2009;Wan-Long et al 2013), immune function (Prendergast et al 2004;Xu and Hu 2017), and thermoregulation (Zhang et al 2014a) has been enhanced by these methods. Another area in which research on seasonal changes has been conducted, though more limited in scope, is migration (often an alternative to hibernation), as demonstrated by bats (McGuire et al 2014).…”

Section: Homeostasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecophysiology of mammals

Tomasi

Anderson

Garland

2019

Journal of Mammalogy

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Ecophysiology is a relatively recent interdisciplinary field, and although active prior to the 75th anniversary of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), it has grown in breadth since then. This growth is in part a result of advances in technology that have reduced the size and improved the portability of key instrumentation, and also made sequencing of proteins and nucleic acids faster and less expensive. Here, we demonstrate the breadth of recent research on the ecophysiology of mammals, quantify the research activity of the past 25 years, and consider future research needs. Some of the most active areas of research have related to maintenance of homeostasis, associations of physiological traits with the evolution of varied life styles and life histories, and reproductive physiology. Key findings involve allometry and scaling, energetics and thermoregulation, phenotypic plasticity and epigenetics, and the importance of microbial symbionts. With respect to predictions of trends in mammalian ecophysiology, the strongest themes relate to conservation biology, in large part related to rapid climate change, habitat destruction, and other anthropogenic factors. How our mammalian fauna adapts (or not) to these changes will be of great interest, and has the potential to affect the science of mammalogy in the future. La ecofisiología es un campo interdisciplinario relativamente reciente, y a pesar de que era un área vigorosa antes del septuagésimo quinto aniversario de la Sociedad Americana de Mastozoología (ASM), desde entonces ha crecido en envergadura. Este crecimiento es en parte el resultado de los avances tecnológicos en donde el tamaño de los instrumentos se ha reducido facilitando de ese modo la portabilidad de instrumentos claves, y al mismo tiempo, permitiendo que la secuenciación de proteínas y ácidos nucleicos sea más rápida y menos costosa. En este trabajo, se demuestra el alcance de la investigación reciente sobre la ecofisiología de los mamíferos, se cuantifica la actividad científica de las investigaciones de las últimas dos décadas y se hacen predicciones para los próximos 25 años. Algunas de las áreas más activas de investigación se han asociado con el mantenimiento de la homeostasis, la relación entre los rasgos fisiológicos con la evolución de diferentes estilos e historias de vida, y la fisiología reproductiva. Los hallazgos clave incluyen la alometría y la escala, la energética y la termorregulación, la plasticidad fenotípica y la epigenética, y la importancia de los simbiontes microbianos. Con respecto a las predicciones sobre las tendencias de la ecofisiología de mamíferos, los temas más comunes están relacionados con la biología de la conservación, en su mayor parte a consecuencia del rápido cambio climático, la destrucción del hábitat y otros factores antropogénicos. La forma en que nuestra fauna de mamíferos se adapta (o no) a estos cambios, a nivel fisiológico y de otro tipo, será de gran interés en el futuro, teniendo el potencial de influir a la ciencia de la mastozoología.

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Section: Homeostasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecophysiology of mammals

Tomasi

Anderson

Garland

2019

Journal of Mammalogy

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The influence of photoperiod on the reproductive physiology of the greater red musk shrew (Crociduraflavescens)

et al. 2016

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Photoperiodism involves the use of both absolute measures of day length and the direction in which day length is changing as a cue for regulating seasonal changes in physiology and behaviour so that birth and lactation coincide with optimal resource availability, increasing offspring survival. Induced ovulation and opportunistic breeding is often found in species that are predominantly solitary and territorial. In this study, the photoperiodic reproductive responses of male greater red musk shrews (Crocidura flavescens (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827)) were investigated in the laboratory. The presence of spermatozoa regardless of the light cycle, suggest that although the shrews are photoresponsive, they may be capable of breeding throughout the year. Significantly greater testicular volume and seminiferous tubule diameter following exposure to a short day-light cycle suggests that these animals may have breeding peaks that correspond to short days. The presence of epidermal spines on the penis indicates that the shrew is likely also an induced ovulator.Flexible breeding patterns combined with induced ovulation affords this solitary species the greatest chance of reproductive success. ___________________________________________________________________

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Reproductive photo-responsiveness in male forest shrews (Myosorex varius) from the Eastern Cape of South Africa

Cited by 2 publications

References 18 publications

Ecophysiology of mammals

Ecophysiology of mammals

The influence of photoperiod on the reproductive physiology of the greater red musk shrew (Crociduraflavescens)

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