Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the most commonly measured energetic variable in endothermic animals. Identifying the underlying factors driving interspecific variation in BMR remains a major question in the field of energetics. While body size (M) and taxonomic affiliation are the intrinsic factors that account for most of the interspecific variation in BMR, haploid genome size (C-value) is hypothesized to directly influence cell size and indirectly, the specific metabolic rate. Climatic variables, mostly ambient temperature, have also been proposed as predictors of mass-independent BMR for endotherms. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the relative importance of intrinsic (C-value: CV) and extrinsic (climatic variables) factors as predictors of BMR in 67 rodent species in a phylogenetic context. The best ordinary least square (OLS) and phylogenetic generalized linear (PGLS) models explaining interspecific variation in BMR included the variables log M, log CV, maximum temperature of the warmest month (Tmax), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Tmin) and net primary productivity (NPP). Log M is the main determinant of log BMR variation in the rodents analyzed. Part of the remaining variation is attributed to a negative effect of genome size explaining 14% of the BMR variance, when Tmin is included in the model. As expected, one or two climatic variables were involved in explaining the remaining BMR variation (Tmin, Tmax and NPP). Our study highlights the importance of a denser sampling within vertebrate clades and the use of a phylogenetic context to elucidate the factors that contribute to explain BMR variation.
The effects of genome size and climate on basal metabolic rate variation in rodents
Announcing the 2024 JEB Outstanding Paper Prize shortlist and winner
Every year JEB celebrates early-career researchers through the Outstanding Paper Prize. We recognise the shortlisted ECRS that contributed to 11 remarkable studies published in 2024 and congratulate the winner, Elise Laetz, from University of Groningen. See how else JEB supports and promotes ECRs.
Inside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with Hans-Otto Pörtner
During the past two decades, Hans-Otto Pörtner has steered climate change policy as a co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II. He tells us about the experience in this Perspective.
Photosynthesis turns symbiotic sea anemone's tentacles toward sun
Snakelocks sea anemones point their tentacles, packed with symbiotic algae, toward the sun so their lodgers can photosynthesize, and now Vengamanaidu Modepalli & colleagues have discovered that photosynthesis by the algae guides their host's tentacles towards the sun.
History of our journals
As our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 years old, read about JEB’s history and explore the journey of each of our sister journals: Development, Journal of Cell Science, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open.
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