The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts

Autores
Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul; McWhorter, Todd J.; Lavin, Shana R.; Chediack, Juan Gabriel; Tracy, Christopher R.; Karasov, William
Año de publicación
2007
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Anecdotal evidence suggests that birds have smaller intestines than mammals. In the present analysis, we show that small birds and bats have significantly shorter small intestines and less small intestine nominal (smooth bore tube) surface area than similarly sized nonflying mammals. The corresponding >50% reduction in intestinal volume and hence mass of digesta carried is advantageous because the energetic costs of flight increase with load carried. But, a central dilemma is how birds and bats satisfy relatively high energy needs with less absorptive surface area. Here, we further show that an enhanced paracellular pathway for intestinal absorption of water-soluble nutrients such as glucose and amino acids may compensate for reduced small intestines in volant vertebrates. The evidence is that L-rhamnose and other similarly sized, metabolically inert, nonactively transported monosaccharides are absorbed significantly more in small birds and bats than in nonflying mammals. To broaden our comparison and test the veracity of our finding we surveyed the literature for other similar studies of paracellular absorption. The patterns found in our focal species held up when we included other species surveyed in our analysis. Significantly greater amplification of digestive surface area by villi in small birds, also uncovered by our analysis, may provide one mechanistic explanation for the observation of higher paracellular absorption relative to nonflying mammals. It appears that reduced intestinal size and relatively enhanced intestinal paracellular absorption can be added to the suite of adaptations that have evolved in actively flying vertebrates.
Fil: Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina
Fil: McWhorter, Todd J.. Murdoch University; Australia. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Lavin, Shana R.. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Chediack, Juan Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina
Fil: Tracy, Christopher R.. Charles Darwin University; Australia. Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Israel. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Karasov, William. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Materia
DIGESTION
GUT MORPHOMETRICS
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
PARACELLULAR UPTAKE
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/138668

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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller gutsCaviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan RaulMcWhorter, Todd J.Lavin, Shana R.Chediack, Juan GabrielTracy, Christopher R.Karasov, WilliamDIGESTIONGUT MORPHOMETRICSNUTRIENT ABSORPTIONPARACELLULAR UPTAKEhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Anecdotal evidence suggests that birds have smaller intestines than mammals. In the present analysis, we show that small birds and bats have significantly shorter small intestines and less small intestine nominal (smooth bore tube) surface area than similarly sized nonflying mammals. The corresponding >50% reduction in intestinal volume and hence mass of digesta carried is advantageous because the energetic costs of flight increase with load carried. But, a central dilemma is how birds and bats satisfy relatively high energy needs with less absorptive surface area. Here, we further show that an enhanced paracellular pathway for intestinal absorption of water-soluble nutrients such as glucose and amino acids may compensate for reduced small intestines in volant vertebrates. The evidence is that L-rhamnose and other similarly sized, metabolically inert, nonactively transported monosaccharides are absorbed significantly more in small birds and bats than in nonflying mammals. To broaden our comparison and test the veracity of our finding we surveyed the literature for other similar studies of paracellular absorption. The patterns found in our focal species held up when we included other species surveyed in our analysis. Significantly greater amplification of digestive surface area by villi in small birds, also uncovered by our analysis, may provide one mechanistic explanation for the observation of higher paracellular absorption relative to nonflying mammals. It appears that reduced intestinal size and relatively enhanced intestinal paracellular absorption can be added to the suite of adaptations that have evolved in actively flying vertebrates.Fil: Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: McWhorter, Todd J.. Murdoch University; Australia. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Lavin, Shana R.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Chediack, Juan Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Tracy, Christopher R.. Charles Darwin University; Australia. Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Israel. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Karasov, William. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosNational Academy of Sciences2007-11-27info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/138668Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul; McWhorter, Todd J.; Lavin, Shana R.; Chediack, Juan Gabriel; Tracy, Christopher R.; et al.; The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 104; 48; 27-11-2007; 19132-191370027-84241091-6490CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.pnas.org/content/104/48/19132info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1073/pnas.0703159104info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T10:47:56Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/138668instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 10:47:56.712CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
title The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
spellingShingle The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul
DIGESTION
GUT MORPHOMETRICS
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
PARACELLULAR UPTAKE
title_short The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
title_full The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
title_fullStr The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
title_full_unstemmed The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
title_sort The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul
McWhorter, Todd J.
Lavin, Shana R.
Chediack, Juan Gabriel
Tracy, Christopher R.
Karasov, William
author Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul
author_facet Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul
McWhorter, Todd J.
Lavin, Shana R.
Chediack, Juan Gabriel
Tracy, Christopher R.
Karasov, William
author_role author
author2 McWhorter, Todd J.
Lavin, Shana R.
Chediack, Juan Gabriel
Tracy, Christopher R.
Karasov, William
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv DIGESTION
GUT MORPHOMETRICS
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
PARACELLULAR UPTAKE
topic DIGESTION
GUT MORPHOMETRICS
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
PARACELLULAR UPTAKE
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Anecdotal evidence suggests that birds have smaller intestines than mammals. In the present analysis, we show that small birds and bats have significantly shorter small intestines and less small intestine nominal (smooth bore tube) surface area than similarly sized nonflying mammals. The corresponding >50% reduction in intestinal volume and hence mass of digesta carried is advantageous because the energetic costs of flight increase with load carried. But, a central dilemma is how birds and bats satisfy relatively high energy needs with less absorptive surface area. Here, we further show that an enhanced paracellular pathway for intestinal absorption of water-soluble nutrients such as glucose and amino acids may compensate for reduced small intestines in volant vertebrates. The evidence is that L-rhamnose and other similarly sized, metabolically inert, nonactively transported monosaccharides are absorbed significantly more in small birds and bats than in nonflying mammals. To broaden our comparison and test the veracity of our finding we surveyed the literature for other similar studies of paracellular absorption. The patterns found in our focal species held up when we included other species surveyed in our analysis. Significantly greater amplification of digestive surface area by villi in small birds, also uncovered by our analysis, may provide one mechanistic explanation for the observation of higher paracellular absorption relative to nonflying mammals. It appears that reduced intestinal size and relatively enhanced intestinal paracellular absorption can be added to the suite of adaptations that have evolved in actively flying vertebrates.
Fil: Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina
Fil: McWhorter, Todd J.. Murdoch University; Australia. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Lavin, Shana R.. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Chediack, Juan Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina
Fil: Tracy, Christopher R.. Charles Darwin University; Australia. Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Israel. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Karasov, William. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unidos
description Anecdotal evidence suggests that birds have smaller intestines than mammals. In the present analysis, we show that small birds and bats have significantly shorter small intestines and less small intestine nominal (smooth bore tube) surface area than similarly sized nonflying mammals. The corresponding >50% reduction in intestinal volume and hence mass of digesta carried is advantageous because the energetic costs of flight increase with load carried. But, a central dilemma is how birds and bats satisfy relatively high energy needs with less absorptive surface area. Here, we further show that an enhanced paracellular pathway for intestinal absorption of water-soluble nutrients such as glucose and amino acids may compensate for reduced small intestines in volant vertebrates. The evidence is that L-rhamnose and other similarly sized, metabolically inert, nonactively transported monosaccharides are absorbed significantly more in small birds and bats than in nonflying mammals. To broaden our comparison and test the veracity of our finding we surveyed the literature for other similar studies of paracellular absorption. The patterns found in our focal species held up when we included other species surveyed in our analysis. Significantly greater amplification of digestive surface area by villi in small birds, also uncovered by our analysis, may provide one mechanistic explanation for the observation of higher paracellular absorption relative to nonflying mammals. It appears that reduced intestinal size and relatively enhanced intestinal paracellular absorption can be added to the suite of adaptations that have evolved in actively flying vertebrates.
publishDate 2007
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2007-11-27
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/138668
Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul; McWhorter, Todd J.; Lavin, Shana R.; Chediack, Juan Gabriel; Tracy, Christopher R.; et al.; The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 104; 48; 27-11-2007; 19132-19137
0027-8424
1091-6490
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/138668
identifier_str_mv Caviedes Vidal, Enrique Juan Raul; McWhorter, Todd J.; Lavin, Shana R.; Chediack, Juan Gabriel; Tracy, Christopher R.; et al.; The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates: High intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 104; 48; 27-11-2007; 19132-19137
0027-8424
1091-6490
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.pnas.org/content/104/48/19132
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1073/pnas.0703159104
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv National Academy of Sciences
publisher.none.fl_str_mv National Academy of Sciences
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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