Ecological Physiology of Mammals in Argentina: a developing and promising field

FACUNDO LUNA; CUTRERA, ANA PAULA; ROXANA ZENUTO

Mastozoologia Neotropical

SAREM

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2020 vol. 27 p. 78 - 100

ABSTRACT. Ecological physiology is a discipline that occurs at the intersection of comparative physiology, ecology and evolution, with emphasis on patterns and processes by which physiological diversity arises and persists in nature. Here, our objective is to review articles on ecological physiology that use mammals from Argentina as study organisms, including studies conducted in both eld and laboratory settings over the last 25 years. Variation in physiological responses is considered in relation to changes in ecological conditions, focusing on energetics, ecological endocrinology and ecoimmunology. Of these topics, studies related to energy acquisition and expenditure are the most numerous, with a less substantive body of research availablefor ecological endocrinology and ecoimmunology due to their their more recent development in Argentina. The number of species studied is limited and most are rodents, likely reecting the diculties of monitoring physiological parameters in nature as well as implementing controlled studies in captivity. Understanding the roles of life history, habitat, and phylogeny in shaping the physiological responses of animals to environmental conditions requires additional studies that consider more species from dierent clades of mammals and that include data collected over larger geographical and temporal scales. We anticipate that such studies of physiology will substantially expand our knowledge of mammalian biology while also resulting in improved conservation of these animals and a more eective management of South American environments.