Shivering and Heat Production in Wild Birds

West, George C.

doi:10.1086/physzool.38.2.30152817

Cited by 105 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…1A) could be important at high altitudes for increasing the thermogenic capacity for heat production in the cold, and/or increasing hypoxia tolerance. Birds meet the bulk of the demand for thermogenesis by shivering (West, 1965;Bicudo, 1996). Non-shivering thermogenesis may play a role in thermoregulation in ducklings (Teulier et al, 2010) 1989).…”

Section: Enhanced Aerobic Capacity In the Gastrocnemius Muscle Of Higmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial physiology in the skeletal and cardiac muscles is altered in torrent ducks, Merganetta armata, from high altitudes in the Andes

Dawson

Ivy

Alza

et al. 2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Torrent ducks inhabit fast-flowing rivers in the Andes from sea level to altitudes up to 4500 m. We examined the mitochondrial physiology that facilitates performance over this altitudinal cline by comparing the respiratory capacities of permeabilized fibers, the activities of 16 key metabolic enzymes and the myoglobin content in muscles between high-and low-altitude populations of this species. Mitochondrial respiratory capacities (assessed using substrates of mitochondrial complexes I, II and/or IV) were higher in highland ducks in the gastrocnemius muscle -the primary muscle used to support swimming and diving -but were similar between populations in the pectoralis muscle and the left ventricle. The heightened respiratory capacity in the gastrocnemius of highland ducks was associated with elevated activities of cytochrome oxidase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and malate dehydrogenase (MDH). Although respiratory capacities were similar between populations in the other muscles, highland ducks had elevated activities of ATP synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, MDH, hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase and creatine kinase in the left ventricle, and elevated MDH activity and myoglobin content in the pectoralis. Thus, although there was a significant increase in the oxidative capacity of the gastrocnemius in highland ducks, which correlates with improved performance at high altitudes, the variation in metabolic enzyme activities in other muscles not correlated to respiratory capacity, such as the consistent upregulation of MDH activity, may serve other functions that contribute to success at high altitudes.

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Section: Enhanced Aerobic Capacity In the Gastrocnemius Muscle Of Higmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial physiology in the skeletal and cardiac muscles is altered in torrent ducks, Merganetta armata, from high altitudes in the Andes

Dawson

Ivy

Alza

et al. 2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Various authors have documented inverse relations between EMG activity and temperature for birds in cool and cold environments (Steen and Enger 1957;Hart 1962;West 1965;Barre et al 1985Barre et al , 1986b. Based on studies of pigeons, Hohtola (1982) advocated the use of the mean rectified voltage calculated from the EMG as the most reliable index of heat production.…”

Section: Shivering Thermogenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Adjustments to Cold

Marsh

Dawson

1989

Advances in Comparative and Environmental Physiology

113

104

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“…The capacity to shiver develops gradually during the first 3 weeks, and it generates from the leg and rump regions of chicks; wing shivering dependent on the maturation of pectoral musele is not developed by this age. Shivering and musele activity may be the only means of thermogenesis in birds (Steen and Enger, 1957;West, 1965;Aulie, 1976). The conductances of gannet chicks sacrificed at different points in the neonatal period also decrease as a function of age, and temperature regulation may simply be a consequence of other important developmental processes (Ricklefs, 1974).…”

Section: Growth Development and Nutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%