Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 82 (1): 153-162, 2009
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effects of environmental temperature on oxygen diffusion capacity during post-natal
development in the altricial rodent, Phyllotis darwini
In this contribution we studied the developmental phenotypic plasticity of respiratory
structures involved in the exchange of gases in an altricial rodent, the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini). We studied
morphological pulmonary parameters of warm (30 °C) and cold acclimated animals 15 °C) at different developmental stages. We
found that acclimation treatments did not affect neither lung volume, the alveolocapillary barrier thickness nor the respiratory surface
density. In consequence the oxygen diffusion capacity was not affected. Although Phyllotis darwini exhibited structural
respiratory changes expected by its ontogenetic development, these structures were not affected by thermal acclimation during the
post-natal development.
Key words:
phenotypic plasticity,
lung, altricial rodents
