Thermal acclimation of locomotor performance in anuran amphibians

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1956-1960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Miller ◽  
Gregory M. Zoghby

Acclimation is the principal strategy employed by amphibians in coping with environmental temperature changes, yet acclimation has only rarely been shown to affect aspects of whole-organism function in amphibians. We examined the influence of a period of acclimation on the effect of temperature on locomotion in three anuran species. Giant toads, Bufo marinus, moved most quickly at 22 °C, and acclimation to that temperature further improved performance (inverse compensation). Leopard frogs, Ranapipiens, also moved most quickly at 22 °C, but acclimation to 12 °C improved locomotor performance at that temperature (positive compensation). Clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, in contrast, moved most quickly at 12 °C and acclimation did not affect locomotor performance in this species (no compensation). Thus, while acclimation clearly affects locomotor performance in some anuran species, the direction of change differs among them.

2019 ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Beltran

Environmental temperature has fitness consequences on ectotherm development, ecology and behaviour. Amphibians are especially vulnerable because thermoregulation often trades with appropriate water balance. Although substantial research has evaluated the effect of temperature in amphibian locomotion and physiological limits, there is little information about amphibians living under extreme temperature conditions. Leptodactylus lithonaetes is a frog allegedly specialised to forage and breed on dark granitic outcrops and associated puddles, which reach environmental temperatures well above 40 ˚C. Adults can select thermally favourable microhabitats during the day while tadpoles are constrained to rock puddles and associated temperature fluctuations; we thus established microhabitat temperatures and tested whether the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of L. lithonaetes is higher in tadpoles compared to adults. In addition, we evaluated the effect of water temperature on locomotor performance of tadpoles. Contrary to our expectations, puddle temperatures were comparable and even lower than those temperatures measured in the microhabitats used by adults in the daytime. Nonetheless, the CTmax was 42.3 ˚C for tadpoles and 39.7 ˚C for adults. Regarding locomotor performance, maximum speed and maximum distance travelled by tadpoles peaked around 34 ˚C, approximately 1 ˚C below the maximum puddle temperatures registered in the puddles. In conclusion, L. lithonaetes tadpoles have a higher CTmax compared to adults, suggesting a longer exposure to extreme temperatures that lead to maintain their physiological performance at high temperatures. We suggest that these conditions are adaptations to face the strong selection forces driven by this granitic habitat.


1958 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 824-831
Author(s):  
P. Y. FORTUNE

1. It is confirmed that TSH has a more marked effect on the teleost thyroid at high temperatures. 2. The secretion of TSH is increased at high temperatures. 3. The temperature to which the animal is subjected prior to the experiment has no long-term effect on thyroid activity. 4. The thyroid-pituitary relationship is affected by temperature changes, and it is suggested that the TH:TSH ratio may be set at different levels by altering the environmental temperature.


2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 375-381
Author(s):  
K. M. Popov

Abstract. Influence of air temperature on the consumption of fuel and energy resources (FER) on train traction is due to a number of physical laws. The extent of this effect is specified in the Rules for Traction Settlement (RTS). At the same time, when rationing FER consumption for train traction, a specialized methodical base is used, which involves a different approach to accounting for the effect of temperature on FER consumption for train traction. At the same time in different documents of this base, the effects of low temperature on the absolute and specific consumption of fuel and energy resources on train traction are taken into account in a different way, which is due to the lack of consensus among specialists on the way this factor is taken into account. Specialists of JSC “VNIIZhT” carried out an analysis of a significant amount of driver’s routes data, results of which showed that the dependence of the specific flow rate on temperature, on the basis of which the corresponding influence coefficient is determined, needs to be periodically updated. In addition, when technically standardizing the consumption of fuel and energy resources (for the locomotive crew work site), the temperature effect coefficients need to be calculated for a specific work area and direction of motion on it, while using the average network coefficient values will lead to errors. When calculating additional flow of fuel and energy from the effect of temperature for electric multiple units (EMU), the equations of regression dependencies should be used, obtained by statistical processing of data on temperature changes and specific consumption of fuel and energy resources for EMU and determined for each series of EMU when working on a particular suburban area.


1949 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balduin Lucké ◽  
Hans Schlumberger

Metastasis of the kidney carcinoma of leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) has been induced by exposing tumor-bearing animals for approximately 50 days to a constant temperature of 28°C. Under these conditions 54 per cent of the frogs developed secondary growths, whereas in groups kept at 18° or at 7° metastatic dissemination was found in only 6 per cent. Moreover, at the elevated temperature the metastases were usually more numerous and more widely disseminated; they were also fairly uniform in size, suggesting that they had developed at nearly the same time. Dissemination of the kidney tumors was influenced by the nutritional state of the frogs, occurring more readily in well nourished than in poorly nourished animals. Periodic Roentgen ray examinations showed that the size of the primary tumors was not significantly or uniformly affected during the course of the experiments. No correlation was found between change in size of the kidney tumors and the incidence of their metastasis. Although the mechanism by which temperature induces metastasis of frog carcinoma cannot as yet be elucidated, previous experiments with this tumor indicate that certain factors at least may be involved: Elevation of temperature has been found to cause more ready detachment of cells of frog carcinoma in tissue culture; to bring about increased velocity of locomotion of the detached cells; to lead more promptly and efficiently to vascularization of transplants; and to effect their greater invasiveness.


Author(s):  
Yiqun Huang ◽  
Pawan Singh Takhar ◽  
Juming Tang ◽  
Barry G Swanson

Rheological behaviors of high acyl (HA) gellan are not well understood partially because of its relatively late commercialization compared to low acyl gellan. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature (5-30 °C), calcium (0, 1 and 10 mM) and gellan concentrations (0.0044-0.1000% w/v) on the flow behaviors of high acyl gellan aqueous solutions using rheological tests. Gellan solutions with 0 or 1 mM added Ca++ exhibited shear thinning behavior at gellan concentrations above 0.0125%. The influence of temperature on apparent viscosity (shear rate, 100 s-1) of gellan solutions can be described with an Arrhenius relationship. The apparent viscosity of gellan solution at low concentrations was more sensitive to temperature changes. The addition of Ca++ led to a decrease in flow resistance for a dilute gellan solution (<0.0125%), but an increased resistance for a relatively concentrated gellan solution (>0.0125%).


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