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The allometry of parrot BMR: seasonal data for the Greater Vasa Parrot, Coracopsis vasa, from Madagascar

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Abstract

In this study we examined the allometry of basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 31 parrot species. Unlike previous reports, we show that parrots per se do not display BMRs that are any different to other captive-raised birds of their body size. An ordinary least squares regression fitted the data best and body mass explained 95% of the variation in BMR. There was no phylogenetic signal in the BMR data. We also provide new data for the Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis vasa) of Madagascar. We tested the hypotheses that C. vasa may, because of its insular existence, display conservative energetic traits (low BMR, use of adaptive heterothermy) similar to those observed in several Malagasy mammals. However, this was not the case. C. vasa had a higher BMR than other parrots, especially during summer, when BMR was up-regulated by 50.5% and was 95.7% higher than predicted from an ordinary least squares (OLS) allometry of parrots (BMR = 0.042M 0.649b , BMR in Watts, M b in grammes). Compared with BMR data for 94 captive-raised bird species, the winter and summer BMRs were, respectively, 45.5 and 117.8% higher than predicted by a phylogenetic generalised least squares (PGLS) allometry (BMR = 0.030M 0.687b , BMR in Watts, M b in grammes). The summer up-regulation of BMR is the highest recorded for a bird of any size to date. We suggest that the costs of a high summer BMR may be met by the unusual cooperative breeding system of C. vasa in which groups of males feed the female and share paternity. The potential breeding benefits of a high summer BMR are unknown.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by an NRF and UKZN incentive grants to BGL and MRP. Thamsanqa Mjwara is thanked for assistance in bird maintenance and installing the video recording equipment. We thank Brian Boswell most sincerely for the loan of his birds.

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  1. School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa

    Barry G. Lovegrove, Mike R. Perrin & Mark Brown

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  1. Barry G. Lovegrove
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  2. Mike R. Perrin
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Correspondence to Barry G. Lovegrove.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier.

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Lovegrove, B.G., Perrin, M.R. & Brown, M. The allometry of parrot BMR: seasonal data for the Greater Vasa Parrot, Coracopsis vasa, from Madagascar. J Comp Physiol B 181, 1075–1087 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-011-0590-2

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