Dust you shall eat: Complex considerations underlying a simple diet

Animals assimilate macronutrients and mineral nutrients in specific quantities and ratios to maximize fitness. To achieve this, animals must ingest different foods that contain the needed nutrients or facilitate the digestion of those nutrients. We explored how these multidimensional considerations affect the desert isopods (Hemilepistus reaumuri) food selection, using field and laboratory experiments. Wild isopods consumed 3-fold more macronutrient-poor biological soil crust (BSC) than plant litter. Isopods tightly regulated macronutrient and calcium intake, but not phosphorus when eating the two natural foods and when artificial calcium and phosphorus sources substituted the BSC. Despite the equivalent calcium ingestion, isopods performed better when eating BSC compared to artificial foods. Isopods that consumed BSC sterilized by gamma-radiation ate more but grew slower than isopods that ate live BSC, implying that ingested microorganisms facilitate litter digestion. Our work highlig..., Please refer to the Methods section in the manuscript and Appendix 1, which elaborates on the method even further., , # Dust you shall eat: Complex considerations underlying a simple diet [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kq57](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kq57) The data contains 7 CSV files that are correlated to (and named as) the 4 experiments described in the MS. All statistical analyses were performed in SPSS ver. 26 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), therefore no code was uploaded. **1.    First experiment - 'Feeding observations in the field'**: here we identified the isopod diet choices (selection between their two main food sources) in their natural habitat. One file is related to this experiment: 1\) '*1- Feeding observations in the field.csv*' (See **Description of the data and file structure** below) \* The data collected in this exp is not analyzed nor presented in a figure (only described in the results section). **2.    Second experiment - 'Dietary choices - laboratory experiment using artificial foods'**: here we characterized the isopods' intake target for protein, carbo...动物会以特定的数量与比例同化宏量营养素（macronutrients）与矿物质营养素，以最大化自身适合度（fitness）。为达成这一目标，动物必须摄取含有必需营养素或可辅助营养素消化的不同食物。本研究通过野外与实验室实验，探究这些多维度考量如何影响沙漠等足类动物（isopods，*Hemilepistus reaumuri*，雷氏异足潮虫）的食物选择。野生等足类动物摄取的宏量营养素匮乏的生物土壤结皮（biological soil crust, BSC）量是植物凋落物的3倍。当摄食两种天然食物，以及用人工钙、磷源替代生物土壤结皮时，等足类动物会严格调控宏量营养素与钙的摄入，但对磷的摄入并无此类调控。尽管钙摄入量相当，但摄食生物土壤结皮的等足类动物的生存表现优于摄食人工食物的个体。摄食经γ射线（gamma-radiation）灭菌处理的生物土壤结皮的等足类动物进食量更高，但生长速度慢于摄食鲜活生物土壤结皮的个体，这表明摄入的微生物可辅助凋落物的消化。本研究的……请参阅手稿中的方法部分与附录1，其中对实验方法进行了更为详尽的阐释。 # 你当以尘土为食：简单食谱背后的复杂考量 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kq57](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kq57) 本数据集包含7个CSV文件，与论文中描述的4项实验一一对应（文件名亦与实验对应）。 所有统计分析均使用SPSS 26版本（SPSS Inc.，美国伊利诺伊州芝加哥市）完成，故未上传代码。 **1. 第一项实验——“野外摄食观察”**：本实验旨在确定等足类动物在自然栖息地中的食物选择（在其两种主要食物源间进行选择）。 本实验对应1个数据文件： 1) *1- 野外摄食观察.csv* （详见下文“数据与文件结构说明”） *本实验采集的数据未进行分析，也未以图表呈现（仅在结果部分进行了描述）。 **2. 第二项实验——“人工食物饲喂的食物选择实验室实验”**：本实验旨在表征等足类动物对蛋白质、碳水化合物……