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    Two independent approaches to assessing the constancy of evaporative water loss for birds under varying evaporative conditions

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Embargo Lift Date
    2022-07-22
    Authors
    Gilson, Lauren Noelle
    Cooper, Christine
    Withers, Philip Carew
    Gagnon, Monique
    Date
    2021
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Gilson, L.N. and Cooper, C. and Withers, P.C. and Gagnon, M. 2021. Two independent approaches to assessing the constancy of evaporative water loss for birds under varying evaporative conditions. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology. 261: Article No. 111041.
    Source Title
    Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology
    DOI
    10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111041
    ISSN
    1095-6433
    Faculty
    Faculty of Science and Engineering
    School
    School of Molecular and Life Sciences (MLS)
    Funding and Sponsorship
    http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160103627
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/84707
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    We examine here the effects on evaporative water loss (EWL), at and below thermoneutrality, of perturbing the evaporative environment for the red-capped parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius) by modifying the ambient relative humidity or the diffusive properties of the ambient environment using a helium-oxygen mix (helox). We found that evaporative water loss did not change with relative humidity at an ambient temperature of 30°C, but there was a negative relationship for evaporative water loss with relative humidity at 20 and 25°C. The EWL per water vapour pressure deficit between the bird and its ambient environment was not constant with relative humidity, as would be expected for a physical effect (slope = 0); rather there was a significant positive relationship with relative humidity at ambient temperatures of 25 and 30°C. Consequently, we conclude that the red-capped parrot can physiologically control its EWL over a range of relative humidities. For the first time for a bird species, we also confirmed EWL control using a second methodology to perturb the evaporative environment, and demonstrated that a more diffusive helox atmosphere has no effect on EWL of live birds, but EWL was higher for dead birds in helox compared to air. Our results for EWL and other physiological variables for red-capped parrots are consistent with the hypothesis that EWL is under physiological control.

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    • Can birds do it too? Evidence for convergence in evaporative water loss regulation for birds and mammals
      Eto, E.; Withers, Philip; Cooper, Christine (2017)
      Birds have many physiological characteristics that are convergent with mammals. In the light of recent evidence that mammals can maintain a constant insensible evaporative water loss (EWL) over a range of perturbing ...
    • Physiological regulation of evaporative water loss in endotherms: Is the little red kaluta (Dasykaluta rosamondae) an exception or the rule?
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      It is a central paradigm of comparative physiology that the effect of humidity on evaporative water loss (EWL) is determined for most mammals and birds, in and below thermoneutrality, essentially by physics and is not ...
    • Physiological regulation of evaporative water loss in endotherms: Is the little red kaluta (Dasykaluta rosamondae) an exception or the rule?
      Withers, Philip; Cooper, Christine (2014)
      It is a central paradigm of comparative physiology that the effect of humidity on evaporative water loss (EWL) is determined for most mammals and birds, in and below thermoneutrality, essentially by physics and is not ...
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