Behavior Morphology Ectotherm Body Temp
Behavior vs. Morphology on Ectotherm body temperature
Introduction: Endotherms are organisms that maintain a stable body temperature. The environment has little effect. Endotherms consume different resources to maintain a stable body temperature trough changes in their metabolism. Ectotherms are organisms that cannot maintain a stable body temperature on their own. Ectotherms depend on its environmental surroundings to stabilize its body temperature. Stabile body temperatures are very important for Ectotherms in order for them to perform their day to day activities. Ectotherms are affected by the environment in many ways. Ectotherms body temperature can change very easy under certain conditions. Radiation, convection, conduction, and evaporation are the main types of temperature transfer on ectotherms. Anything from the organism coming in contact with a hot surface to hot sun emitting its radiation to a cold wind breeze just blowing by. Because ectotherms are so highly and easily influenced by their environment it is important for us to understand their ways of controlling it. In this experiment we will understand the differences in which ectotherms control their body temperature. We will understand differences in behavior of an ectotherm and differences in morphology. We will test the differences in behavior by placing identical model ectotherms (marshmallow peeps containing data loggers that record time and temperature.) in a wet shady location and a dry sunny location. Then for the morphology side we will test the differences in peeps with a white fur coat and ones with feathers in a damp dark hole under a tree away from sunlight. It is important to put them in a hole or retreat place because it is rarely thought of during these experiments. “Many terrestrial ectotherms behaviorally regulate body temperature (Tb ) during periods of aboveground activity by exploiting spatial and temporal variation in microclimates” (Cowles and Bogert 1944, Porter et al.
Introduction: Endotherms are organisms that maintain a stable body temperature. The environment has little effect. Endotherms consume different resources to maintain a stable body temperature trough changes in their metabolism. Ectotherms are organisms that cannot maintain a stable body temperature on their own. Ectotherms depend on its environmental surroundings to stabilize its body temperature. Stabile body temperatures are very important for Ectotherms in order for them to perform their day to day activities. Ectotherms are affected by the environment in many ways. Ectotherms body temperature can change very easy under certain conditions. Radiation, convection, conduction, and evaporation are the main types of temperature transfer on ectotherms. Anything from the organism coming in contact with a hot surface to hot sun emitting its radiation to a cold wind breeze just blowing by. Because ectotherms are so highly and easily influenced by their environment it is important for us to understand their ways of controlling it. In this experiment we will understand the differences in which ectotherms control their body temperature. We will understand differences in behavior of an ectotherm and differences in morphology. We will test the differences in behavior by placing identical model ectotherms (marshmallow peeps containing data loggers that record time and temperature.) in a wet shady location and a dry sunny location. Then for the morphology side we will test the differences in peeps with a white fur coat and ones with feathers in a damp dark hole under a tree away from sunlight. It is important to put them in a hole or retreat place because it is rarely thought of during these experiments. “Many terrestrial ectotherms behaviorally regulate body temperature (Tb ) during periods of aboveground activity by exploiting spatial and temporal variation in microclimates” (Cowles and Bogert 1944, Porter et al.
References: and Acknowledgements: Variation, selection and evolution of function-valued traits Joel G. Kingsolver1, Richard Gomulkiewicz2,3 & Patrick A. Carter2 1Department of Biology, CB-3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA Cowles and Bogert 1944, Porter et al. 1973, Casey 1981, Willmer 1982, Lillywhite 1987