Collaborative Grant: Total Energy Expenditure in Apes Measured Using Doubly Labeled Water

所有生物体都必须消耗能量来完成生长、维持和繁殖等基本的生理任务。以前的研究表明，物种在这些任务上花费的能量经常不同，这种变化对物种的生态和生活节奏有非常重要的影响。如果我们要充分了解我们自己和其他相关类人猿的进化能量和生活史策略，就有必要获得比较数据；然而，目前对活着的类人猿的能量消耗策略知之甚少。这个项目将通过调查这些物种每天消耗多少能量来提供这些活着的类人猿的结构化比较数据，这些能量消耗测量将被用来检验这样一个假设，即类人猿的能量消耗限制了它们的生长、繁殖和衰老的速度，并反映了它们在野外的饮食和生态。猩猩(黑猩猩、黑猩猩、大猩猩、猩猩和长臂猿)每天的总能量消耗(卡路里/天)将使用一种名为双标记水(DLW)的技术来测量。DLW跟踪人体在两周内产生二氧化碳的速率，进而提供对这段时间内消耗的卡路里的准确测量；DLW被认为是衡量日常能量消耗的黄金标准。利用动物园和水族馆协会认可的动物园中饲养的类人猿种群，将使用DLW方法测量成年雄性和雌性动物的每日总能量消耗。除了测试关于能量收支的假设外，这些测量还将促进对这些物种生理和营养需求的当前理解，因为目前关于类人猿能量消耗的数据很少。该项目的更广泛影响包括更好地了解类人猿的营养和代谢需求，这可能会改进圈养类人猿的管理策略，从而改善圈养类人猿的健康和福祉；肥胖和其他新陈代谢问题是圈养类人猿患病的主要原因。该项目还将加强和发展美国动物园在基础研究中的作用，并将为亨特学院、华盛顿大学、辛辛那提大学以及参与项目的动物园附近的其他机构的本科生提供研究培训和经验。最后，该项目将提高公众对科学研究及其益处的认识，因为有关该项目的信息将在参与的动物园公开提供。

All organisms must expend energy to accomplish the essential physiological tasks of growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Previous work has shown that species often vary in the amount of energy spent on these tasks, and that this variation has very important effects on species' ecology and pace of life. If we are to fully understand the evolved energetic and life-history strategies of ourselves and other related hominoid primates, it is necessary to acquire comparative data; at present, however, very little is known about the energy expenditure strategies of the living apes. This project will provide this structured comparative data on living apes through investigation of how much energy these species spend each day, and these energy expenditure measurements will be used to test the hypothesis that ape energy expenditures constrain their rates of growth, reproduction, and aging, and reflect their diet and ecology in the wild. Total daily energy expenditure (calories/day) in apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons) will be measured using a technique called the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. DLW tracks the body's rate of carbon dioxide production over a two-week period, which in turn provides an accurate measurement of the calories expended during that time; DLW is considered the gold-standard for measurements of daily energy expenditure. Using ape populations housed in Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos, total daily energy expenditure will be measured among adult males and females using the DLW method. In addition to testing hypotheses regarding energy budgets, these measurements will advance the current understanding of the physiology and nutritional requirements of these species, as there are currently very few data available for ape energy expenditure. Broader impacts of this project include a better understanding of the nutritional and metabolic requirements of apes, which may improve management strategies for captive apes and therefore improve the health and well-being of apes in captivity; obesity and other metabolic problems are a leading cause of illness in captive apes. This project also will strengthen and develop the role of U.S. zoos in basic research, and will provide research training and experience for undergraduates at Hunter College, Washington University, University of Cincinnati, and at other institutions near participating zoos. Finally, this project will increase public awareness of scientific research and its benefits, as information regarding the project will be made publicly available at participating zoos.