... ). Hypertrophy was only seen in the hearts, as the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrocnemius muscle did not differ across season for either species ( Fig. S1 ). As previously reported ( Mineo et al., 2012 ), hypertrophy was also seen in laboratory mice after prolonged cold exposure ( Fig. 1 ), with mean relative...

...Kevin T. Roberts; Andre Szejner-Sigal; Philipp Lehmann ABSTRACT In seasonal environments, many animals, including insects, enter dormancy, where they are limited to a fixed energy budget. The inability to replenish energetic stores during these periods suggests insects should be constrained by pre...

...David L. Denlinger ABSTRACT Diapause, a stage-specific developmental arrest, is widely exploited by insects to bridge unfavorable seasons. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the ecology, physiology and evolutionary implications of insect diapause, yet intriguing questions remain...

... with electroencephalogram (EEG)-based sleep–wake patterns in barnacle geese under seminatural conditions across different seasons. In winter, the geese had pronounced daily rhythms in rest and activity, with most activity occurring during the daytime. In summer, activity was more spread out over the 24 h cycle. Hourly...

... to defend normothermia through the recruitment of brown adipose tissue (BAT). Here, we studied thermoregulatory adaptation in an obligate homeotherm, the African striped mouse ( Rhabdomys pumilio ), captured from a subpopulation living in a mesic, temperate climate with marked seasonal differences. Basal...

..., seasonal changes between and within generations may trigger morphological and physiological variation enhancing fitness under different environmental conditions. These seasonal changes may irreversibly affect adult phenotypes when experienced during development. Yet, the irreversible effects...

...Laura van Rosmalen; Jayme van Dalum; David G. Hazlerigg; Roelof A. Hut ABSTRACT To optimally time reproduction, seasonal mammals use a photoperiodic neuroendocrine system (PNES) that measures photoperiod and subsequently drives reproduction. To adapt to late spring arrival at northern latitudes...

... temperatures. To explore context-dependent effects, we replicated these treatments across two seasonal regimes: relatively cool temperatures from nests constructed early in the season and warm temperatures from late-season nests. We show that natural thermal fluctuations have a relatively small effect...

... for seasonal changes in body temperature regulation is little explored. Here, we present novel data on the regulation of avian body temperature to investigate how birds alter mechanisms of heat production and heat conservation to deal with variation in ambient conditions. We subjected dark-eyed juncos ( Junco...

...Erin D. Treanore; Jacklyn M. Kiner; Mackenzie E. Kerner; Etya Amsalem ABSTRACT Insects maximize their fitness by exhibiting predictable and adaptive seasonal patterns in response to changing environmental conditions. These seasonal patterns are often expressed even when insects are kept...

...Ana Gabriela Jimenez; Emily Cornelius Ruhs; Kailey J. Tobin; Katie N. Anderson; Audrey Le Pogam; Lyette Regimbald; François Vézina ABSTRACT Seasonal changes in maximal thermogenic capacity ( M sum ) in wild black-capped chickadees suggests that adjustments in metabolic performance are slow...

... carinatus , was introduced to the USA in the 1940s and is now established in southern Florida. We measured bite force and the thermal sensitivity of sprinting of L. carinatus during the winter and spring to determine how morphology and performance varied seasonally. We found evidence of seasonal variation...

...Clarissa C. Ren; Kristyn E. Sylvia; Kathleen M. Munley; Jessica E. Deyoe; Sarah G. Henderson; Michael P. Vu; Gregory E. Demas ABSTRACT Seasonally breeding animals undergo shifts in physiology and behavior in response to changes in photoperiod (day length). Interestingly, some species...

...Ana Gabriela Jimenez; Erin S. O'Connor; Karl J. Brown; Christopher W. Briggs ABSTRACT Resident birds in temperate zones respond to seasonally fluctuating temperatures by adjusting their physiology, such as changes in basal metabolic rate or peak metabolic rate during cold exposure, or altering...

... defense by altering the abundance of melanin pathway components (a hypothesis we refer to as thermoregulatory-dependent immune investment). This may be the case in the cricket Allonemobius socius , where warm environments (both seasonal and geographical) produced crickets with lighter cuticles...

... and immune-related phenoloxidase activity increase with latitude. However, thermal environments vary seasonally as well as geographically, suggesting that seasonal plasticity in immunity may also exist. Although seasonal fluctuations in vertebrate immune function are common (because of flux in breeding...

...Laura Vesala; Tiina S. Salminen; Vladimir Koštál; Helena Zahradníčková; Anneli Hoikkala SUMMARY Coping with seasonal changes in temperature is an important factor underlying the ability of insects to survive over the harsh winter conditions in the northern temperate zone, and only a few...

... the mechanisms of population persistence during the dry season are not yet known, targeting dry season mosquitoes could provide opportunities for vector control. In the Sahel, it appears likely that M-form A. gambiae survive by aestivation (entering a dormant state). To assess the role of eco-physiological...

..., the composition of these malaria vectors varies spatially and temporally throughout the region and is thought to be linked to environmental factors such as rainfall, larval site characteristics and duration of the dry season. To examine possible physiological divergence between these taxa, we measured metabolic...

...Barbara Helm; Ingrid Schwabl; Eberhard Gwinner SUMMARY To anticipate seasonal change, organisms schedule their annual activities by using calendrical cues like photoperiod. The use of cues must be fitted to local conditions because schedules differ between species and habitats. In complete absence...