100 things challenge - 9: Chill to save energy

[birdienl]

Maintaining a constant warm body temperature seems so obvious for us humans we never really think about it. But for many wild animals there is a downside, heating the body costs a metabolic fortune. It was already known small mammals, such as mice and rodents, can drop their body temperature when food sources are low and in this way save energy. Recently, researchers from the University of Göttingen in Germany have found out horses also possess this trick. First, they tested Przewalski horses, the horse race closest to the wild predecessor of all horses. When they were found capable of regulating their body temperature, the researchers were curious to know whether this ability was lost in domesticated horses or not. So they tested Shetland ponies next, feeding some animals 30% less compared to control animals. The ponies being fed less turned out to have a 1,1 C lower body temperature and also a slower heart rate. 

So, these domesticated animals have retained the ability that their wild ancestors also had, which gives them the ability to survive harsher conditions with less food. Aha, now I know why my Shetland ponies seem to grow from noting but air!

Source

Comments

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

That's so interesting. Nature invents the smartest mechanisms :)