e-journal

A novel integrativemethod formeasuring body condition in ecological studies based on physiological dysregulation

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1. The body condition of free-ranging animals affects their response to stress, decisions, ability to fulfil vital
needs and, ultimately, fitness. However, this key attribute in ecology remains difficult to assess, and there is a
clear need for more integrativemeasures than the common univariate proxies.
2. We propose a systems biology approach that positions individuals along a gradient from a ‘normal/optimal’
to ‘abnormal/suboptimal’ physiological state based onMahalanobis distance computed from physiological biomarkers.
We previously demonstrated the validity of this approach for studying ageing in humans; here, we illustrate
its broad potential for ecological studies.
3. As an example, we used biomarker data on shorebirds and found that birds with an abnormal condition had
a lower maximal thermogenic capacity and higher scores of inflammation, with important implications for their
ecology and health.Moreover,Mahalanobis distance captured a signal of condition not detected by the individual
biomarkers.
4. Overall, our results on birds and humans show that individuals with abnormal physiologies are indeed in
worse condition.Moreover, our approach appears not to be particularly sensitive to which set of biomarkers is
used to assess condition. Consequently, it could be applied easily to existing ecological data sets.
5. Our approach provides a general, powerful way to measure condition that helps resolve confusion as to how
to deal with complex interactions and interdependence among multiple physiological and condition measures. It
can be applied directly to topics such as the effect of environmental quality on body condition, risks of health
outcomes, mechanisms of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and mechanisms behind long-term processes such as
senescence.

Key-words: body condition, Calidris canutus, health state, Mahalanobis distance, metabolic rate,
multivariate distance, physiological dysregulation

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Methods in Ecology and Evolution

No. Panggil

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Penerbit

: British Ecological Society., 2014

Deskripsi Fisik

Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2014, 5, 146–155

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

doi: 10.1111/2041-21

Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

Bilogi

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Wati/Agus

Versi lain/terkait

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