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Energetic limits on reproduction: interaction of thermal and dietary factors
The time that food-restricted Norway rat dams spent in contact with their offspring was elevated only during that portion of the day in which their body temperatures were depressed. These data support a thermal model for the limitation of mother-young contact. The depression in maternal body temperature appeared to be due to a direct limitation on available fuel, rather than being mediated by a depression in circulating hormone levels.
The time that food-restricted Norway rat dams spent in contact with their offspring was elevated only during that portion of the day in which their body temperatures were depressed. These data support a thermal model for the limitation of mother-young contact. The depression in maternal body temperature appeared to be due to a direct limitation on available fuel, rather than being mediated by a depression in circulating hormone levels.