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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40010396/ |
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Table of Contents:
- Gas exchange, oxygen transport and metabolism in high-altitude waterfowl. Laguë, Sabine L Ivy, Catherine M York, Julia M Dawson, Neal J Chua, Beverly A Alza, Luis Scott, Graham R McCracken, Kevin G Milsom, William K Animals Altitude Oxygen Pulmonary Gas Exchange Anseriformes Oxygen Consumption Acclimatization High-altitude life poses physiological challenges to all animals due to decreased environmental oxygen (O) availability (hypoxia) and cold. Supporting high metabolic rates and body temperatures with limited O is challenging. Many birds, however, thrive at high altitudes. The O-transport cascade describes the pathway involved in moving O from the environment to the tissues encompassing: (i) ventilation, (ii) pulmonary O diffusion, (iii) circulation, (iv) tissue O diffusion, and (v) mitochondrial O use for ATP production. Shared avian traits such as rigid lungs with cross-current gas exchange and unidirectional airflow aid in O acquisition and transport in all birds. Many high-altitude birds, however, have evolved enhancements to some or all steps in the cascade. In this review, we summarize the current literature on gas exchange and O transport in high-altitude birds, providing an overview of the O-transport cascade that principally draws on the literature from high-altitude waterfowl, the most well-studied group of high-altitude birds. We close by discussing two important avenues for future research: distinguishing between the influences of plasticity and evolution and investigating whether the morphological and physiological differences discussed contribute to enhanced locomotor or thermogenic performance, a potential critical link to fitness.This article is part of the theme issue 'The biology of the avian respiratory system'.