A Comparison of the Nitrogen Requirements of the Eastern Pygmy Possum,<i>Cercartetus nanus</i>, on a Pollen and on a Mealworm Diet

Tets, Ian G. van; Hulbert, A. J.

doi:10.1086/316649

Cited by 40 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Bats in the wild complement their nectar diet with insects and pollen and these items are rich sources of protein (Howell, 1974;Smith and Green, 1987;DeFoliart, 1992;van Tets and Hulbert, 1999). Thus, unlike bats fed a nitrogen-poor diet (0.1%N) in the experiment by Voigt and his colleagues, nectarivorous bats have natural diets that include protein-rich items.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Protein in soya isolate (76%; Carias et al, 1995) and amaranth grains (75-78%; Yañez et al, 1994) have similar biological values (the percentage of absorbed protein that is retained; Robbins, 1993) to the protein found in pollen and insects (~70%; Smith and Green, 1987;DeFoliart, 1992;Van Tets and Hulbert 1999). Both diets had higher nitrogen content (soya diet: 2.2%N, C:N=18.8; amaranth diet: 1.3%N, C:N=30.1) than the diet offered by Voigt and his colleagues and most likely offered a more balanced source of amino acids.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of diet quality on carbon and nitrogen turnover and isotopic discrimination in blood of a New World nectarivorous bat

Hobson

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Diet composition of carbon and nitrogen (C:N) could affect diet-tissue isotopic discrimination and elemental turnover rate in consumers but studies that test the nature of these changes are scarce. We compared carbon and nitrogen isotopic discrimination and turnover rates in individuals of Pallas'long-tongued bats Glossophaga soricina fed diets with protein soya isolate or amaranth grains as their main source of protein. Diets were of similar protein biological value but the soya diet had higher nitrogen content(2.2%N) and lower C:N ratio (39.6) than the amaranth diet (1.3%N, C:N=40.5). Most bats on the soya diet gained body mass whereas most bats on the amaranth diet lost body mass. Half-lives of carbon (24.3±3.8 days) and nitrogen(25.6±4.4 days) in bats switched to the soya diet were very similar. In contrast, in the bats switched to the amaranth diet, carbon half-life(39.7±3.4 days) was longer than that of nitrogen (25.0±6.0 days). The enrichment in 15N between diet and blood was higher when bats were fed the amaranth diet (4.4±0.2‰) than when they were fed the soya diet (3.3±0.2‰). Similarly, bats on the amaranth diet had higher 13C enrichment (2.0±0.2‰) than bats on the soya diet (0.1±0.1‰). Our results support recent hypotheses of the effect of nutrition on diet-tissue isotopic discrimination and turnover rate, and further shows that blood stable isotope analysis is an adequate approach to track seasonal dietary shifts in wild bats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of diet quality on carbon and nitrogen turnover and isotopic discrimination in blood of a New World nectarivorous bat

Hobson

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Dietary deficiencies in essential amino acids (EAA) can in principle lead to limitation of growth by individual EAA rather than bulk protein (or elemental N). A number of published studies have shown dietary EAA imbalances adversely impacting on growth in various organisms including insects (Briegel 1985, Karowe andMartin 1989), marine zooplankton (Kleppel et al 1998, Guisande et al 2000, birds (Peoples et al 1994, Ramsay and Houston 1998 and mammals (Lochmiller et al 1995, van Tets andHulbert 1999). If EAA in food are imbalanced relative to the demands for protein synthesis, deamination of the excess occurs and part of the N ration is excreted (Ferguson et al 1998, Fournier et al 2003.…”

Section: Micronutrient Stoichiometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Stoichiometry: Linking Elements to Biochemicals

Anderson

Boersma

Raubenheimer

2004

Ecology

142

127

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Abstract. Ecological stoichiometry is a useful tool for studying how the elemental composition of organisms and their food affects production, nutrient cycling, and foodweb dynamics. Two analyses are presented here that show that the use of simple element ratios in stoichiometric calculations may in certain circumstances prove inadequate because of the influence in animal nutrition of biochemical aspects of diet. In the first, a stoichiometric analysis of herbivores consuming food with varying carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios is undertaken, in which the intake of C is segregated into easily assimilated compounds and fiber. Two herbivore strategies emerge from the analysis, both as a means of minimizing limitation by C, not N: fiber eaters that consume high C:N food and have efficient fiber digestion, and selective feeders that consume low C:N food but that do not possess fiberdigesting enzymes. In the second example, the stoichiometric axiom that a single substrate, the one in least supply relative to demand, limits growth is used to identify potentially limiting essential amino acids in the diets of a range of animals. Large consumer-prey imbalances in amino acids were found in several cases, indicating that, at least in theory, growth should be strongly limited by individual amino acids rather than bulk N. In practice such limitation may be offset in consumers by physiological and other factors such as symbiotic relationships. The two analyses emphasize the simplicity of element stoichiometry, highlighting the need to consider biochemical and physiological arguments when undertaking stoichiometric studies of carbon and nutrient transfers in ecosystems.

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“…A very low MNR of 87 mg N kg ¡0.75 day ¡1 was reported for the sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps, fed a pollen and honey diet (Smith and Green 1987) that was attributed to an unusually low value for metabolic faecal nitrogen (MFN) on a roughage-free diet, and a low value for endogenous urinary nitrogen excretion (EUN) (Hume 1999). An even lower value of 46 mg N kg ¡0.75 day ¡1 for the MNR was reported for the pygmy possum, Cercartetus nanus, when fed a pollen diet suspended in an agar/sugar gel (van Tets and Hulbert 1999). The MNR increased to 147 mg N kg ¡0.75 day ¡1 , however, when the possums were fed a diet of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and the diVerence was attributed to the higher biological value (BV) of the pollen.…”

Section: Nitrogen Metabolismmentioning

confidence: 90%

The physiology of the honey possum, Tarsipes rostratus, a small marsupial with a suite of highly specialised characters: a review

Bradshaw

2011

J Comp Physiol B

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Field and laboratory studies of the iconic nectarivorous and 'pollenivorous' honey possum, Tarsipes rostratus, are reviewed with the aim of identifying aspects of its physiology that are as yet poorly understood and needed to implement management strategies for its long-term conservation. Dietary specialisations include the loss of teeth, a modified gut with a high rate of passage, exceptionally low minimum nitrogen requirements, an apparently high basal metabolic rate and a permanently polyuric kidney. In contrast, its reproductive physiology is plesiomorphic, combining aspects such as a post-partum oestrus, embryonic diapause, photoperiodicity and extended maternal care that are usually separate characteristics of other marsupial groups. In common with a number of other marsupials, the honey possum has the potential for trichromatic colour vision and has been the subject of several studies attempting to correlate visual quality with ecological realities. Field physiological studies have established its high rates of nectar and pollen intake needed to maintain energy balance and highlight the need for a constant intake from floral sources. Early allometric studies suggesting that the honey possum's relatively low reproductive rate may be linked to a diet limited in protein have not been supported and nitrogen intakes in the field exceed by a factor of 10 the animal's basic requirements for balance. Measurements of rates of protein turnover in field-caught lactating females suggest that they divert nitrogen from the protein pool to milk production by reducing rates of degradation, rather than by increasing rates of synthesis of protein. Although not yet an endangered species, the honey possum's habitat has been drastically reduced since European occupation of Australia and future-targeted research on the animal's unique physiology and habitat linkage is needed that can be translated into effective management practices. Only then will its long-term survival be assured.

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A Comparison of the Nitrogen Requirements of the Eastern Pygmy Possum,Cercartetus nanus, on a Pollen and on a Mealworm Diet

Cited by 40 publications

References 36 publications

Effect of diet quality on carbon and nitrogen turnover and isotopic discrimination in blood of a New World nectarivorous bat

Effect of diet quality on carbon and nitrogen turnover and isotopic discrimination in blood of a New World nectarivorous bat

Stoichiometry: Linking Elements to Biochemicals

The physiology of the honey possum, Tarsipes rostratus, a small marsupial with a suite of highly specialised characters: a review

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