Here are some additional comparative physiology highlights from the 2019 Arizona Physiological Society poster session:
Photo of Gambel’s quail by Kevin Bondelli via Wikimedia Commons
Researchers at Arizona State University compared the physiology of Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) living in urbanized and less developed areas. They found that birds living in more urbanized areas were larger and had more circulating lipids than birds living in areas that were less developed. (A Funk, P Hutton, S Earl, P Deviche, and K Sweazea. Effects of urbanization on morphology and nutritional physiology of Gambel’s quail, Callipepla gambelii. Arizona State University)
Image of South American locusts via krcu.org.
Measuring the respiratory quotient (RQ) of an animal can provide information about what fuels it is using to produce energy. A value closer to 0.7 indicates fat use whereas a value closer to 1.0 indicates carbohydrate use. While RQ values are typically thought to only range from 0.7-1.0, researchers at Arizona State University showed that the RQ value could actually increase above 1 in locusts that are eating a lot of carbohydrates as those carbohydrates get converted to fats. (S Talal, A Cease, J Harrison. High carbohydrate diets increase respiratory quotients above 1 in locusts. Arizona State University)
I am pretty sure my RQ was well above 1.0 on Halloween…
Photo of a crayfish by Thomas Seip via Wikimedia Commons
Lastly, researchers at Arizona State University found that crayfish are able to regenerate their claws if lost in a battle. Although, the regenerated claws were not as strong as the original. (Z Graham, M Angilletta. The offense and defense of a regenerated weapon. Arizona State University)
- Dogs may facilitate spread of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Warm hypoxic waters impair heart function in some fish
Categories: Climate Change, Diet and Exercise, Extreme Animals, Physiology on the Road, Urbanization
Tags: American Physiological Society, Arizona, Arizona State University, diet, quail, regeneration, RQ, urban, Urbanization
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 
