Abstract Surface water is a critical resource for many birds inhabiting arid regions, but the implications of regular drinking and dependence on surface evolution thermal physiology remain largely unexplored. We hypothesized that avian thermoregulation in heat has evolved tandem with use predicted (a) regularly species have greater capacity to elevate rates evaporative loss (EWL) compared non‐drinking species, (b) tolerance limits (HTLs) are higher among species. To test these predictions,...

Burrowing mammals tend to be more hypoxia tolerant than non-burrowing and rely less on increases in ventilation decreases metabolic rate tolerate hypoxia. Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber, NMRs), eusocial that live large colonies, are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals, almost solely metabolism with little change during We hypothesized remarkable tolerance of NMRs is an evolutionarily conserved trait derived from repeated exposure severe owing their burrow environment colony...

Abstract Naked mole-rats are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals. During hypoxia, their body temperature ( T b ) decreases via unknown mechanisms to conserve energy. In small mammals, non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is critical regulation; therefore, we hypothesize that hypoxia naked mole-rat BAT thermogenesis. To test this, measure changes during normoxia and (7% O 2 ; 1–3 h). We report interscapular high but ceases decreases. Furthermore, from animals treated...

Abstract. Global hydrological models are one of the key tools that can help meet needs stakeholders and policy makers when water management strategies policies developed. The primary objective this paper is therefore to establish a first-of-its-kind, truly global hyper-resolution model spans multiple-decade period (1985–2019). To achieve this, two limitations addressed, namely lack high-resolution meteorological data insufficient representation lateral movement snow ice. Thus, novel...

Abstract. Global hydrological models are one of the key tools that can help meet needs stakeholders and policy makers when water management strategies policies developed. The primary objective this paper is therefore to establish a first its kind, truly global hyper-resolution model spans multiple-decade period (1985–2019). To achieve this, two limitations addressed, namely lack high resolution meteorological data insufficient representation lateral movement snow ice. Thus novel downscaling...

Abstract. Drought is a devastating natural disaster, during which water shortage often manifests itself in the health of vegetation. Unfortunately, it difficult to obtain high-resolution vegetation drought impact information that spatially and temporally consistent. While remotely sensed products can provide part this information, they suffer from data gaps limitations with respect their spatial or temporal resolution. A persistent feature among remote-sensing trade-off between resolution...

Mole-rats are champions of self-preservation, with increased longevity compared other rodents their size, strong antioxidant capabilities and specialized defenses against endogenous oxidative stress. However, how the brains these subterranean mammals handle acute in vivo hypoxia is poorly understood. This study first to examine molecular response low oxygen six different species hypoxia-tolerant mole-rats from sub-Saharan Africa. Protein carbonylation, a known marker DNA damage...

Hypoxemia from exposure to intermittent and/or acute environmental hypoxia (lower oxygen concentration) is a severe stressor for many animal species. The response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis), which culminates in release glucocorticoids, has been well-studied hypoxia-intolerant surface-dwelling mammals. Several group-living (social) subterranean species, including most African mole-rats, are hypoxia-tolerant, likely due regular their underground burrows. Conversely,...

At a global scale, thermal physiology is correlated with climatic variables such as temperature and aridity. There also evidence that thermoregulatory traits vary fine-scale microclimate, but this has received less attention in endotherms. Here, we test the hypothesis avian thermoregulation varies microclimate behavioural constraints non-passerine bird. Male female southern yellow-billed hornbills (Tockus leucomelas) experience markedly different microclimates while breeding, sealing herself...

Mammals have evolved circadian rhythms in internal biological processes and behaviors, such as locomotor activity (LA), to synchronize the environmental conditions they experience. Photic entrainment of LA has been well established; however, non-photic entrainment, ambient temperature ( T a ), received much less attention. To address this dearth knowledge, we exposed two subterranean endothermic-homeothermic African mole-rat species, solitary Cape Georychus capensis [GC]) social Mahali...

Abstract The microsites that animals occupy during the rest phase of their circadian activity cycle influence physiology and behaviour, but relatively few studies have examined correlations between interspecific variation in thermal roost microclimate. Among bats, there is some evidence species exposed to high temperatures ( T ) possess greater heat tolerance evaporative cooling capacity, small number for which both microclimate data exist mean generality this pattern remains unclear. Here,...

Behavioural trade-offs between foraging and thermoregulation result in negative relationships diurnal body mass (Mb) gain daily maximum air temperature (Tmax) arid-zone birds. However, it remains unclear how these are affected by habitat type or sexually dimorphic behaviour. Using the South African endemic Red Lark (Calendulauda burra) as a model taxon focusing solely on non-breeding adults, we evaluated predictions that a) time-activity budgets more strongly (Ta) than is case for species...

African mole-rats have provided great insight into mammalian evolution of sociality and reproductive strategy. However, some species not received attention, these may provide further insights evolutionary questions. The cooperatively breeding Mahali mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus mahali (Roberts, 1913)) is one such species. Body mass, reproductive-tract morphometrics, gonad histology, plasma hormone concentrations were studied for non-breeding males females over 1 year. This study aimed to...

Climate change has caused aridification which can alter habitat vegetation, soil and precipitation profiles potentially affecting resident species. Vegetation are important for subterranean mole-rats as increasing aridity causes soils to become harder geophytes less evenly distributed, the inter-geophyte distance increases. Mole-rats obtain all water dietary requirements from geophytes, thus digging in may amplify stressors (hyperthermia, dehydration- or exercise-induced damage). This study...

The Mahali mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus mahali (Roberts, 1913)) is a social, cooperatively breeding subterranean rodent that breeds aseasonally. Only one female in colony and the remaining females are reproductively suppressed. When opportunity arises, these non-reproductive disperse from natal to escape reproductive suppression pair up with an unrelated male start new colony. This study set out determine whether mole-rats induced or spontaneous ovulators once separated of female. Fifteen...

Avian evaporative cooling and the maintenance of body temperature ( T b ) below lethal limits during heat exposure has received more attention in small species compared to larger-bodied taxa. Here, we examined thermoregulation at air temperatures approaching exceeding normothermic three larger birds that use gular flutter, thought provide basis for pronounced capacity tolerance. We quantified , water loss (EWL) resting metabolic rate (RMR) ∼170-g Namaqua sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua ),...

Abstract. Drought is a devastating natural disaster, where water shortage often manifests itself in the health of vegetation. Unfortunately, it difficult to obtain high-resolution vegetation drought impact, which spatially and temporally consistent. While remotely sensed products can provide part this information, they suffer from data gaps limitations spatial or temporal resolutions. A persistent feature among remote sensing tradeoffs between resolution revisiting times, high met by coarse...

If not addressed and remedied, the unsustainable use of non-renewable groundwater will negatively impact many future generations. To effectively manage global reserves, we first need accurate estimates its current availability how much this can feasibly extract. Landscape characteristics have a high on local recharge, groundwater-surface water interactions, abstractions. It is therefore key to model at an appropriate spatial resolution so that landscape heterogeneities are captured. Our...

Land surface characteristics play an important role in shaping hydrological response and groundwater-surface water interactions. It is therefore paramount to model the terrestrial at cycle spatial resolutions which incorporate appropriate land heterogeneities.Our objective enable modelling of global very high resolution. As a first step towards this goal, we present application PCR-GLOBWB 30 arcseconds (~1 km) In implement  a new statistical downscaling routine for meteorological...

Abstract. Many of the world’s major rivers originate in mountain regions and a large fraction global population relies on these for their water supply. The hydrological cycle dependent downstream are often studied using large-scale to models (LHMs). increasing spatial resolution allows improved representation complex topography, but existing model deficiencies cold high-elevation limit potential performance gains. Such gains might be realized by investing into better processes that relevant...