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Such organisms (frogs, for example) rely on environmental heat sources, [3] which permit them to operate at very economical metabolic rates. [ 4 ] Some of these animals live in environments where temperatures are practically constant, as is typical of regions of the abyssal ocean and hence can be regarded as homeothermic ectotherms.
In 1847, Carl Bergmann published his observations that endothermic body size (i.e. mammals) increased with increasing latitude, commonly known as Bergmann's rule. [9] His rule postulated that selection favored within species individuals with larger body sizes in cooler temperatures because the total heat loss would be diminished through lower surface area to volume ratios. [8]
Another example would be the case of the fairy prion (Pachyptila turtur) that forms a close association with a medium-sized reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). [16] These reptiles share the burrows made by the birds, and often stay when the birds are present which helps maintain a higher body temperature. [ 16 ]
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature as its own body temperature, thus avoiding the need for internal thermoregulation.
A eurytherm is an organism, often an endotherm, that can function at a wide range of ambient temperatures. [1] To be considered a eurytherm, all stages of an organism's life cycle must be considered, including juvenile and larval stages. [2]
For example, some insects synthesize cryoprotectants such as polyols and sugars, which reduce the whole body SCP. Although polyols such as sorbitol , mannitol , and ethylene glycol can also be found, glycerol is by far the most common cryoprotectant and can be equivalent to ~20% of the total body mass. [ 17 ]
Sustained energy output of an endothermic animal and an ectothermic animal as a function of core temperature This image shows the difference between endotherms and ectotherms. The mouse is endothermic and regulates its body temperature through homeostasis.
Blood flow index of the nutrient foramen of the femurs in living mammals increases in direct proportion to the animals' maximum metabolic rates, as measured during maximum sustained locomotion. Mammalian blood flow index is about 10 times greater than in ectothermic reptiles. Ten species of fossil dinosaurs from five taxonomic groups reveal ...