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Divergent respiratory and cardiovascular responses to hypoxia in bar-headed geese and Andean birds

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posted on 2023-05-19, 15:00 authored by Lague, SL, Chua, B, Alza, L, Scott, GR, Peter FrappellPeter Frappell, Zhong, Y, Farrell, AP, McCracken, KG, Wang, Y, Milsom, WK
Many high-altitude vertebrates have evolved increased capacities in their oxygen transport cascade (ventilation, pulmonary diffusion, circulation and tissue diffusion), enhancing oxygen transfer from the atmosphere to mitochondria. However, the extent of interspecies variation in the control processes that dictate hypoxia responses remains largely unknown. We compared the metabolic, cardiovascular and respiratory responses to progressive decreases in inspired oxygen levels of bar-headed geese (Anser indicus), birds that biannually migrate across the Himalayan mountains, with those of Andean geese (Chloephaga melanoptera) and crested ducks (Lophonetta specularioides), lifelong residents of the high Andes. We show that Andean geese and crested ducks have evolved fundamentally different mechanisms for maintaining oxygen supply during low oxygen (hypoxia) from those of bar-headed geese. Bar-headed geese respond to hypoxia with robust increases in ventilation and heart rate, whereas Andean species increase lung oxygen extraction and cardiac stroke volume. We propose that transient high-altitude performance has favoured the evolution of robust convective oxygen transport recruitment in hypoxia, whereas life-long high-altitude residency has favoured the evolution of structural enhancements to the lungs and heart that increase lung diffusion and stroke volume.

History

Publication title

Journal of Experimental Biology

Volume

220

Issue

22

Pagination

4186-4194

ISSN

0022-0949

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Company Of Biologists Ltd

Place of publication

Bidder Building Cambridge Commercial Park Cowley Rd, Cambridge, England, Cambs, Cb4 4Dl

Rights statement

Copyright 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences

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