Collaborative Research: Avian Digestive Physiology: A Comparative and Integrative Approach

消化不同种类食物的能力 对动物选择食物种类的巨大影响， 它们如何进食，何时进食，以及它们生长的速度， 繁殖。消化系统研究对生态学的影响 然而，行为实际上被忽视了。应用 消化生理学的发展受到了 消化和吸收的详细研究在细胞和 生物化学水平，以及食物同化的测量， 整个有机体水平。 动物的消化系统和 化学反应器提供了一个桥梁， 消化过程在细胞和整个有机体水平， 一个综合性和预测性的框架。基于数学模型 化学工程原理将用于产生和 关于鸟类摄食消化过程的试验成果 花蜜和果肉。 我们的模型还提供了预测 关于鸟类的进食偏好， 生理特性，从而提供了一个直接的联系， 消化过程和食物的生态相关过程 选择. 动物的消化特性是不固定的;在一个 跨度，他们依赖于适应不同的饮食。的 不同日粮对鸟类消化过程的影响 对比饮食习惯，改变饮食如何影响 消化和吸收碳水化合物、脂质和 蛋白质，以及饮食变化如何影响这些消化系统 细胞、器官和整个生物体水平的过程， 追究化学反应堆理论将用于 整合我们的成果。 除了提供消化系统和 生理学、生态学和行为学，我们的研究将提供 关于消化能力和限制的信息 圈养鸟类，并改善饲养方法， 动物园中的濒危物种和具有经济价值的动物 值

The ability to digest different kinds of foods has an enormous influence on the kinds of foods chosen by animals, on how and when they feed, and on the rates at which they grow and reproduce. The influence of digestive studies on ecology and behavior, however, has been practically ignored. The application of digestive physiology has been hampered by a wide gap between detailed studies of digestion and absorption at the cellular and biochemical levels, and the measurement of food assimilation at the whole organism level. The analogy between the digestive systems of animals and chemical reactors provides a bridge that links measurements of digestive processes at the cellular and whole organism level into a integrative and predictive framework. Mathematical models based on chemical engineering principles will be used to generate and test productions about the digestive processes of birds feeding on nectar and fruit pulp. Our models also provide predictions about the feeding preferences of birds with different physiological traits, and thus provide a direct liaison between digestive processes and the ecologically relevant process of food selection. The digestive traits of animals are not fixed; within a span, they depend on acclimation to different diets. The influence of different diets on the digestive processes of birds with contrasting dietary habits, how changing a diet influences the ability to digest and absorb carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and how dietary changes influence these digestive processes at the cellular, organ, and whole organism levels, will be investigated. Chemical reactor theory will be used to integrate our results. In addition to providing a bridge between digestive physiology and ecology and behavior, our research will provide information on the digestive capabilities and limitations of birds in captivity, and in improving husbandry practices for both endangered species in zoological parks and animals with economic value.