Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

28.6K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
28.6K
Freshwater Microbial Ecology01:24

Freshwater Microbial Ecology

1
Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. These environments are broadly categorized into lotic systems—those with flowing waters like streams and most rivers—and lentic systems, which include still or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, and marshes.In lentic systems, phytoplankton drive primary production, generating autochthonous organic carbon. In contrast, lotic...
1
What is an Ecosystem?01:17

What is an Ecosystem?

48.0K
Overview
48.0K
Positive and Negative Feedback Loops01:18

Positive and Negative Feedback Loops

26.0K
Animal organs and organ systems constantly adjust to internal and external changes through a process called homeostasis ("steady state"). Examples of these changes include regulation of the level of glucose or calcium in the blood or internal responses to external temperatures. Homeostasis requires  maintaining an internal dynamic equilibrium:
26.0K
Osmoregulation in Fishes02:32

Osmoregulation in Fishes

54.7K
When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?
54.7K
Regulation of Water Output01:26

Regulation of Water Output

2.5K
The human body predominantly expels water through the urinary system. On average, an individual generates around 1.5 liters of urine each day. This amount can fluctuate based on how well a person is hydrated, but a critical minimum quantity of urine must be produced to ensure the body's proper functioning. Daily, the kidneys remove 600 to 1200 milliosmoles of dissolved substances, effectively excreting excess minerals and water-soluble toxins such as creatinine, urea, and uric acid from the...
2.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Host genotype and environmental factors differentially shape the black piranha's gill microbiota.

Microbiology spectrum·2026
Same author

Ionoregulatory and hematological parameters of Triportheus albus populations living in natural white- and blackwaters of the Amazon.

Journal of comparative physiology. B, Biochemical, systemic, and environmental physiology·2026
Same author

Amazonian drought of 2023: Environmental conditions relevant to fishes.

Journal of fish biology·2026
Same author

Impacts of the 2023 Amazon drought in contrasting aquatic ecosystems (INCT ADAPTA - Scientific Expedition 2023).

Journal of fish biology·2026
Same author

Special Issue on Microplastics.

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias·2025
Same author

Monogenean infection reduces thermal tolerance and alters thermal preference in Colossoma macropomum: physiological costs in an Amazonian fish host.

Journal of comparative physiology. B, Biochemical, systemic, and environmental physiology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans
08:14

Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans

Published on: April 28, 2023

912

Beyond the mean: adaptive variability in Amazonian aquatic systems.

Adalberto Luis Val1, Vera Maria Fonseca Almeida-Val1

  • 1Laboratory of Ecophysiology and Molecular Evolution, Brazilian National Institute for Research of the Amazon, Manaus, Amazonas69067-375, Brazil.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|March 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Ecological conservation must embrace biological variability, not just averages, to ensure species resilience. Recognizing diversity in traits like low oxygen tolerance is key for adaptive management, especially in the Amazon.

Keywords:
Amazon aquatic biodiversityTyranny of the Gold Meanadaptive plasticitybiological variabilityecological robustness

More Related Videos

Incremental Temperature Changes for Maximal Breeding and Spawning in Astyanax mexicanus
06:36

Incremental Temperature Changes for Maximal Breeding and Spawning in Astyanax mexicanus

Published on: February 14, 2021

4.5K
Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems
07:41

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

8.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans
08:14

Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans

Published on: April 28, 2023

912
Incremental Temperature Changes for Maximal Breeding and Spawning in Astyanax mexicanus
06:36

Incremental Temperature Changes for Maximal Breeding and Spawning in Astyanax mexicanus

Published on: February 14, 2021

4.5K
Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems
07:41

Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: July 30, 2019

8.1K

Area of Science:

  • Comparative Physiology
  • Ecology
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Conventional ecological and conservation strategies often use average-based approaches, masking biological complexity.
  • The 'Tyranny of the Golden Mean' highlights how focusing on averages can obscure crucial biological variability.
  • Amazonian ecosystems exhibit extraordinary heterogeneity, driving significant physiological, biochemical, and genetic diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue that variability and plasticity are essential for ecological robustness, particularly in the Amazon.
  • To demonstrate how adaptive strategies in Amazonian species contribute to resilience.
  • To advocate for conservation approaches that recognize and utilize biological variability.

Main Methods:

  • Revisiting the concept of the 'Tyranny of the Golden Mean'.
  • Analyzing physiological, biochemical, and genetic traits of Amazonian species.
  • Examining adaptive strategies across various taxa, including amphibians, reptiles, aquatic insects, and floodplain trees.

Main Results:

  • Amazonian aquatic species show resilience through traits like low oxygen tolerance and metabolic flexibility.
  • Adaptive strategies are widespread across taxa and are context-specific, often missed by average values.
  • Variability is a critical component of ecological robustness and resilience to environmental changes.

Conclusions:

  • Conservation strategies based solely on averages are insufficient for intensifying environmental changes.
  • Recognizing and embracing biological variability is essential for effective conservation and adaptive management.
  • Adaptive management, which values variability as a strength, enhances the capacity to anticipate and respond to ecological disruption.