BIO-3035 Arctic Animal Biology: Physiological and Behavioral Adaptations to the Environment - 10 stp

The course is mandatory for MSc students in biology on the Arctic Animal Biology specialization program.

Other students: Acceptance based on the following priorities:

• Acceptance in the UiT MSc in Biology programme - other specialisations than Arctic Animal Biology.

• Other UiT-students at MSc level and with relevant background in biology.

Maximum number of students: 15 (limitation related to the capacity for lab/field work).

This course is not available as a singular course.

This course will show master´s level biology students how physiological mechanisms allow animals to meet and handle energetic constraints in relation to habitat selection and lifestyle, and will use Arctic contexts to exemplify this theme.

The course will show that successful management of the balance between energy supply (i.e. food) and demand (i.e. metabolic expenditure) is essential for biological fitness and is the paramount challenge for species living in highly seasonal (i.e., Arctic) environments. This concept will be considered from a comparative perspective, demonstrating that physical (e.g. aquatic / terrestrial; body size) and physiological (e.g., poikilothermy / endothermy) considerations interact to determine viable bioenergetic strategies for different animal species. Within this overall theme the following topics will be discussed:

- comparative digestive physiology

- energy storage and expenditure

- thermal physiology

- migration

- hibernation.

For each topic, teaching will start with the basic properties and then expand into the physiological regulatory processes (neurobiology, endocrinology) and comparative aspects. In addition to lecture and seminar teaching, the course will combine laboratory and field activities to develop an appreciation of ecophysiology as a discipline and of its relevant research approaches.

Knowledge

The candidate

• has advanced knowledge on the concept of the bioenergetic framework and the importance of the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure for species survival

• has detailed insight into the importance of abiotic and biotic aspects of the environment in determining bioenergetic constraints and shaping its evolutionary solutions

• has advanced knowledge in how the physical and physiological attributes of organisms interact with the environment to impose bioenergetic constraints

• has advanced knowledge on the use of experimental and comparative approaches in the study of ecophysiological adaptation

• has insight into physiological and behavioural mechanisms controlling energy intake and energy expenditure

• has advanced knowledge on physiological and behavioural strategies used by species inhabiting highly seasonal arctic environments to cope with seasonal changes in energy demand and availability

Skills

The candidate

• can discuss and explain how physiological principles and evolutionary adaptation determine how organisms cope with environmental energy demands

• can describe examples of behaviour and organ function enabling organisms to cope with environmental energy demand

• can explain examples of comparative differences in physiology and behaviour linked to bioenergetic constraints

• can discuss and explain how the process of evolutionary adaptation may be constrained by physiology

• can collect, analyse and interpret data, independently or during practical exercises, in field conditions and/or in the laboratory

General competence

The candidate

• can analyse and critically evaluate data obtained through own data collection or as reported by others in relevant scientific literature

• can extract and critically evaluate relevant information from scientific literature

• can present scientific content orally and in writing, clearly and in logical order while using language appropriate for the audience and occasion, with appropriate citation of sources and attribution of credit for original work

• can work and cooperate in a group addressing a specific problem and writing up results and conclusions in a group report

• knows basic safety/security regulations and how to take necessary precautions/ emergency preparedness in order to prevent injuries, environmental damage, or damage to valuable scientific equipment, when operating in the lab, or in the field under challenging weather conditions