A1 Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä lehdessä

Changes in body surface temperature reveal the thermal challenge associated with catastrophic moult in captive Gentoo penguins




TekijätLewden, Agnès; du Fretay, Tristan Halna; Stier, Antoine

KustantajaThe Company of Biologists Ltd.

Julkaisuvuosi2024

JournalJournal of Experimental Biology

Tietokannassa oleva lehden nimiThe Journal of experimental biology

Lehden akronyymiJ Exp Biol

Artikkelin numerojeb247332

Vuosikerta227

Numero11

ISSN0022-0949

eISSN1477-9145

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247332

Verkko-osoitehttps://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247332

Rinnakkaistallenteen osoitehttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/454676879

LisätietojaThe dataset used in this study is available online: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25755582


Tiivistelmä
Once a year, penguins undergo a catastrophic moult replacing their entire plumage during a fasting period on land or on sea-ice during which time individuals can lose 45% of their body mass. In penguins, new feather synthesis precedes the loss of old feathers leading to an accumulation of two feathers layers (double coat) before the old plumage is shed. We hypothesize that the combination of the high metabolism required for new feather synthesis and the potentially high thermal insulation linked to the double coat could lead to a thermal challenge requiring additional peripheral circulation to thermal windows to dissipate extra-heat. To test this hypothesis, we measured the surface temperature of different body regions of captive Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) throughout the moult under constant environmental conditions. The surface temperature of the main body trunk decreased during the initial stages of the moult, suggesting greater thermal insulation. In contrast, the periorbital region, a potential proxy of core temperature in birds, increased during these same early moulting stages. The surface temperature of bill, flipper and foot (thermal windows) tended to initially increase during the moult, highlighting the likely need for extra heat dissipation in moulting penguins. These results raise questions regarding the thermoregulatory capacities of penguins in the wild during the challenging period of moulting on land in the current context of global warming.

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Julkaisussa olevat rahoitustiedot
AL was supported by ISblue project, Interdisciplinary graduate school for the blue planet (ANR-17-EURE-0015) and co-funded by a grant from the French government under the program "Investissements d'Avenir" embedded in France 2030. AS was financially supported by the CNRS and the IdEx Université de Strasbourg.


Last updated on 2025-27-01 at 18:45