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Updated: Jul 2, 2025
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Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
Published on: March 9, 2021
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Warm spells in winter affect the equilibrium between winter phenotypes.
Anna S Przybylska-Piech1, Anna Nowak1, Małgorzata Jefimow2
1Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland.
Journal of Thermal Biology
|February 21, 2024
Summary
Global climate change impacts seasonal mammals. Siberian hamsters show plastic winter phenotypes, with temperature shifts influencing coat color, body mass, and torpor, demonstrating environmental adaptability.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Phenotype development results from gene-environment interactions.
- Seasonal mammal winter phenotypes are heritable but environmentally plastic.
- Climate change may disrupt the balance of phenotypic expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of altered ambient temperatures during short photoperiod acclimation on Siberian hamster winter phenotype development.
- To assess the transgenerational effects of environmental conditions on winter phenotype plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Studied three generations of Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).
- Manipulated ambient temperature during short photoperiod acclimation.
- Assessed winter phenotypes based on fur color, body mass, and daily torpor expression.
Main Results:
- Warm spells during winter increased non-responding individuals.
- Stable winter conditions enhanced photoresponsiveness in offspring of non-responders.
- Identified three winter phenotypes: responding, non-responding, and partially-responding.
Conclusions:
- Winter phenotype polymorphism is natural in Siberian hamsters.
- Phenotype development is a plastic response to environmental cues, not genetically fixed.
- Environmental factors like temperature significantly influence the expression of winter phenotypes.
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