Effects of Ambient Temperature on Feeding by Herbivorous Marsupials
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Effects of ambient temperature on feeding by herbivorous marsupials Phillipa K Beale A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The Australian National University. ã Copyright by Phillipa K Beale 2019 All Rights Reserved February 2019 Declaration This thesis contains published work and work prepared for publication that has been co- authored with collaborating researchers. All the data presented in this work is original research and the contribution of each co-author is stated below. No part of this thesis has been submitted for any previous degree. The term “we” is used to acknowledge co- authors in Chapters 2-6 as they are prepared for publication. The term “I” is used in the Introduction and Synthesis sections. Chapter 1. A hot lunch for herbivores: physiological effects of elevated temperatures on mammalian feeding ecology Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, William J Foley, Ben D Moore Literature reviewed by Phillipa K Beale. Original manuscript written by Phillipa K Beale. All authors contributed ideas, edited and improved the manuscript. Chapter 2. Reduced hepatic detoxification in marsupial herbivores following moderate heat exposure Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Patrice K Connors, Karen J Marsh, M Denise Dearing, William J Foley Experimental idea conceived by all authors, and carried out by Phillipa K Beale and Patrice K Connors. Manuscript written by Phillipa K Beale, other authors contributed ideas, edited and improved the manuscript. Chapter 3. Changes in ambient temperature can be as important as plant secondary metabolites in limiting feeding in mammalian herbivore Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, Andrew K Krockenberger, William J Foley Experiments carried out by Phillipa K Beale. Respirometry experimental design and interpretation of results with help from Andrew K Krockenberger. Feeding trial experimental design with help from Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, and William J Foley. Nutritional analysis conducted by Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, and Ben D Moore. Manuscript written by Phillipa K Beale and edited and improved by other authors. 1 Chapter 4. Macronutrient selection changes with ambient temperature in a mammalian herbivore Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, William J Foley Experimental idea and design conceived by Phillipa K Beale. Nutritional analyses carried out by Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, and Ben D Moore. Manuscript written by Phillipa K Beale and edited and improved by all authors. Chapter 5. Daily variation in ambient temperatures affect the fine scale feeding decisions of wild mammalian browsers Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, William J Foley Idea conceived by Phillipa K Beale and Karen J Marsh. Data analysed and manuscript written by Phillipa K Beale with significant contribution from other authors. Chapter 6. Can plant secondary metabolites act as mitochondrial uncouplers? Implications for heat balance in animals Authors: Phillipa K Beale, Cara Timpani, Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, William J Foley, Emma Rybalka Idea conceived by Phillipa K Beale, Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, and William J Foley. Experimental work conducted by Phillipa K Beale, Cara Timpani and Emma Rybalka with significant technical expertise contributed by Cara Timpani and Emma Rybalka. Phillipa K Beale analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. Karen J Marsh, Ben D Moore, and William J Foley edited and improved the manuscript. Phillipa K Beale Signature 2 Acknowledgments The first thanks of course go out to my supervisory panel, William J Foley, Ben D Moore and Karen J Marsh, for all the support and guidance that you have provided. In particular Karen, who I worked with on a daily basis. I have never met someone so level headed and patient. That woman is a saint and deserves some kind of prize. Her clear perspective with regards, not just to the science, but also to academia and life on the whole has been invaluable. It has been a pleasure to work with you Karen and I look forward to future collaborations. I would also like to thank my other coauthors and collaborators who have shared their skills, expertise and time with me and helped shape each project. James Turner, Lisa Warneke, Iliana Medina, and Hannah Windley for comments on earlier drafts. We are grateful to Shlomo Yahav and Chris Turbill for discussions of some of the concepts raised in Chapter 1. Patrice Connors and Denise Dearing for collaborating on Chapter 2, and for advice on Chapter 3. Andrew Krockenburger and Johan Larson for sharing your equipment and expertise so that I could conduct respirometry in Chapter 3. David Raubenheimer for advice on use of the geometric framework in Chapter 4. Karen Marsh and Ben Moore, for access to data used in Chapter 5. Thank you to Cara Timpani for sharing your skills and in the lab and Emma Rybalka for sharing your time and knowledge and hosting me at Victoria University, Chapter 6 would not have been possible without it. Also thankyou to Hannah Windley in particular for help with possum care and in carrying out experiments. You kept me sane. Thank you to my volunteers in possum care, in particular Sarah Webber, and Sarah Buchen and the ANU animal services team. Big thankyou to Ivan Lawler and Ewan Lawler for helping with ringtail possum catching. A gigantic thanks goes to the Ecology and Evolution family. I know I have made some lifelong friends here. When I am forced to leave the ANU upon (hopeful) graduation I will miss this time in life. We have had such fun on camping trips, hikes, coffee dates, tea breaks, fake weddings, BBQs, video making, impromptu dance parties, conferences, dress ups, movie dates, river swims, picnics, and of course endless Friday night happy hours. You have provided stimulating discussions on science, but also on politics, cultural differences, conservation, music, ethics, and any idea that comes up. You have 3 provided help wherever possible generously and unfailingly. Openly and collegially making it that “we” are doing research not that we are each an isolated island with our own isolated projects. This makes such a huge difference to the feeling of doing research and helps to forge interconnected ideas, to broaden thinking, and to make investigating these niche questions all round more fun! I won’t list you all, you know who you are, and much love to you. <3 I also want to acknowledge the Ecology and Evolution division of The Research School of Biology. It is inspiring to see so many high achieving yet balanced individuals in one place. People who give time to family, friends, and to enjoying life are the types of role models I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by, and who have given their time to teach us fledgling researchers. Being here, has also given me many opportunities for teaching and demonstrating that I would not have otherwise had, and thank you for your belief in me and for offering me those chances. The support staff, Wes, Audra, Jack, and also to animal services, a gigantic thank you for always being so approachable and so incredibly good at your jobs. You make life genuinely easier, and for that I am extremely thankful. I also need to thank my friends outside of uni. You have kept me balanced, fed me and reminded me that the rest of the world is not as focused on tiny details about possums. Thank goodness. Special thanks to my housemates over the years, in particular the Duffy crew, for always making me feel like I had a home here in Canberra. I think through my designated role as Dr. Karl of the house, I really practiced my science communication, and I am sure this is a skill I will use into the future. Thankyou friends beyond the confines of the ACT for having me come and stay at your places for mini escapes from PhD life. It is always so good to see you. And finally, thank you to my family for your ongoing support in life. I read once, that when a mother gives birth, she is the proudest she has ever felt in her life. I think this is surpassed when a mother sees her daughter do her final PhD seminar. I have never seen a woman looking so proud as my mother taking photos having put her “planning shoes” on to come and participate. Unwavering support is always on offer from you, from financial support when I need it, to emotional support, to just chats as I bike home 4 in the dark. I am so grateful for that privilege. Dad, Rachel, and Claire, thank you for listening to me, for visiting me, for encouraging me, and for putting up with me. Funding and Licensing This degree of Doctor of Philosophy was supported by the Australian government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Australian National University. I gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Australian government. This work was also supported by grants from the Australian Research Council Discovery programme to William J. Foley, Ben D. Moore, and M Denise Dearing (DP140100228), an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award to William J Foley. Australian Research Council award to Karen J Marsh (DE120101263), and the National Science Foundation and the Australian Academy of Science (East Asia Pacific Summer Institute Fellowship to Patrice K Connors). All work was approved by the Australian National University Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee and conforms to the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (Protocol A2015/24, A2017/3). All plants and animals were collected under Section 273 of the Nature Conservation Act 2014 (License numbers: K9652, PL201689, LT2017936, PL201547, LT2015815, LT2016883).