Reduction in the metabolic levels due to phenotypic plasticity in the Pyrenean newt, Calotriton asper, during cave colonization

According to theories on cave adaptation, cave organisms are expected to develop a lower metabolic rate compared to surface organisms as an adaptation to food scarcity in the subterranean environments. To test this hypothesis, we compared the oxygen consumption rates of the surface and subterranean populations of a surface-dwelling species, the newt Calotriton asper, occasionally found in caves. In this study, we designed a new experimental setup in which animals with free movement were monitored for several days in a respirometer. First, we measured the metabolic rates of individuals from the surface and subterranean populations, both maintained for eight years in captivity in a natural cave. We then tested individuals from these populations immediately after they were caught and one year later while being maintained in the cave. We found that the surface individuals that acclimated to the cave significantly reduced their oxygen consumption, whereas individuals from the subterranean po...根据洞穴适应相关理论，相较于地表生物，洞穴生物为适应地下环境的食物匮乏问题，演化出更低的代谢速率。为验证这一假说，本研究选取一种偶见于洞穴的地表栖居物种——肋突螈（Calotriton asper），对其地表种群与地下种群的耗氧速率进行了对比分析。本研究设计了全新的实验装置，可在呼吸计中对可自由活动的受试动物进行长达数日的监测。首先，我们测定了两类种群个体的代谢速率：两类种群均在天然洞穴中人工饲养了八年。随后，我们分别对刚捕获的上述种群个体，以及在洞穴中饲养一年后的个体进行了代谢测试。研究结果显示，适应洞穴环境的地表个体耗氧速率显著降低，而地下种群的个体……