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Degree

Master of Science, Miami University, Zoology, 2009.

Abstract

Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are faced with seasonal challenges that must be met to ensure survival, such as thermoregulation during the winter, as well as energetically expensive breeding and parental care during the summer. Seasonal acclimatization may be accomplished by phenotypic plasticity of metabolic systems. We measured daily energy expenditure, summit metabolism, and muscle oxidative capacity in winter (December to January) and during the breeding season (May to June), to test the hypothesis that rates of energy utilization will be higher in the winter, and that acclimatization of metabolic systems will occur to meet the demands of higher energy use in winter. We found daily energy expenditure and summit metabolism are significantly greater during the winter, however there were no significant differences in muscle oxidative capacity. We conclude that winter is energetically more expensive than the breeding season, and increased maximum metabolic capacity is a physiological response for seasonal acclimatization.

Subject Headings

Animals; Biology; Zoology

Keywords

seasonal acclimatization; phenotypic plasticity; daily energy expenditure; summit metabolism; muscle oxidative capacity; Northern Cardinals; avian

Committee / Advisors

Dr. Paul Schaeffer, PhD (Advisor)
Dr. Richard Lee, PhD (Committee Member)
Dr. David Russell, PhD (Committee Member)

Pages

30p.

Document number: miami1250100103
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1250100103

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