Plasticity of physiological parameters and adaptations to extreme seasonality in Galago moholi (Galagidae), a South African primate.

一个物种内的生理参数比以前认为的要灵活得多。这在生理需求旺盛的时期尤其明显，比如食物供应不足的凉爽季节。然而，动物通常只能在不受实验室条件限制的野外展示其生理和行为可能性的全部范围。南非灵长类动物Galago moholi提供了一个特别合适的系统来研究这种生理可塑性和对野外极端季节性的适应：g.m oholi生活在高度季节性的大草原上，另外，由于不同的繁殖模式与不同的季节条件有关，它在“自然实验”中提供了比较不同生理、生态和行为学策略的绝佳机会。该研究的目的是研究G. moholi生理参数的可塑性（特别是体温调节和能量预算）以及对极端季节性（摄食生态和行为）的其他适应，使用最近才可用的最先进的生理学方法（野外体温和代谢率测量）结合完善的生态野外方法。对这些过程的理解可以测试导致灵长类动物冬眠进化（或丧失）的最终因素的假设，此外还可以帮助理解灵长类动物在马达加斯加定居的先决条件。

Physiological parameters are much more flexible within a species than previously thought. This becomes particularly obvious during physiologically demanding times, such as cool seasons with low food availability. However, animals can often only show the whole spectrum of their physiological and behavioural possibilities in the field, where they are not restricted by laboratory conditions. The South African primate Galago moholi offers an especially suitable system to investigate this physiological plasticity and adaptations to extreme seasonality in the field: G. moholi lives in highly seasonal savannah and additionally offers the exceptional opportunity of comparing differing physiological, ecological and ethological strategies in a “natural experiment” because of variable breeding patterns, that are linked to different seasonal conditions.The proposed study aims to investigate the plasticity of physiological parameters (especially of thermoregulation and energy budgets) as well as other adaptations to extreme seasonality (feeding ecology and behaviour) in G. moholi, using state-of-the-art methods of physiology, that have become available only recently (measurement of body temperature and metabolic rate in the field) combined with well established ecological field methods. The understanding of these processes allows to test hypotheses about the ultimate factors leading to the evolution (or the loss) of torpor in primates and additionally can help to understand the prerequisites that were relevant for the colonisation of Madagascar by primates.