Animals and environments: resisting schisms in comparative physiology and biochemistry

Area of Science:

• Comparative physiology and biochemistry
• African biological research
• Ecosystem and evolutionary approaches

Background:

• The collection stems from a meeting focused on the future of comparative physiology and biochemistry.
• It highlights a commitment to engaging biological research with African issues and researchers.
• The field is evolving, necessitating a unified approach to avoid fragmented efforts.

Framework:

• Discusses the balance between traditional comparative models and increasingly available molecular methods.
• Advocates for the judicious integration of molecular techniques without abandoning non-model species.
• Promotes extending the comparative approach beyond individual organisms to ecosystem and landscape levels.

Implementation:

• Articles review distinct symposia, each prefaced by a plenary paper.
• The common theme across papers is the focus on interactions within comparative physiology and biochemistry.
• Emphasizes the need for physiological and metabolic data to underpin ecosystem and evolutionary studies.

Implications:

• Encourages collaboration between specialists to provide necessary data for comparative research.
• Suggests that the comparative approach is expanding to reveal underlying principles at broader scales.
• Aims to foster continued interactions and collaborations through the Comparative Physiology and Biology in Africa meetings.