Andrew E. McKechnie
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View article: The role of hyperthermia in avian tolerance of hot and humid conditions
The role of hyperthermia in avian tolerance of hot and humid conditions Open
Pronounced hyperthermia is thought to be important for thermoregulation during hot weather in animals inhabiting humid environments, where high atmospheric humidity constrains evaporative cooling. To assess the role of facultative, reversi…
View article: High human presence is correlated with lower faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in an urban bird population
High human presence is correlated with lower faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in an urban bird population Open
Urban wildlife must cope with diverse challenges and stressors, including human presence. However, in addition to being a disturbance, humans can provide energy-rich food and protection from predators. We evaluated the impact of human pres…
View article: Increases in humidity will intensify lethal hyperthermia risk for birds occupying humid lowlands
Increases in humidity will intensify lethal hyperthermia risk for birds occupying humid lowlands Open
Increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves are expected to elevate the risks of heat-related mortality among birds. Most studies have focused on arid-zone avifaunas and the extent to which risks will increase in other habitats, particular…
View article: Integrating fine‐scale behaviour and microclimate data into biophysical models highlights the risk of lethal hyperthermia and dehydration
Integrating fine‐scale behaviour and microclimate data into biophysical models highlights the risk of lethal hyperthermia and dehydration Open
Climate change threatens biodiversity by compromising the ability to balance energy and water, influencing animal behaviour, species interactions, distribution and ultimately survival. Predicting climate change effects on thermal physiolog…
View article: Evolutionary shifts in the thermal biology of a subterranean mammal: the effect of habitat aridity
Evolutionary shifts in the thermal biology of a subterranean mammal: the effect of habitat aridity Open
Subterranean mammals representing a single subspecies occurring along an aridity gradient provide an appropriate model for investigating adaptive variation in thermal physiology with varying levels of precipitation and air temperature. Thi…
View article: Non-evaporative heat dissipation across the beaks and casques of large forest hornbills
Non-evaporative heat dissipation across the beaks and casques of large forest hornbills Open
Heat loss across the beak is an important thermoregulatory mechanism among birds, particularly in large-beaked taxa such as toucans (Ramphastidae) and hornbills (Bucerotidae). The number of species investigated remains limited, as does our…
View article: Effects of lead on avian thermoregulation in the heat: An experimental test with pied crows (Corvus albus)
Effects of lead on avian thermoregulation in the heat: An experimental test with pied crows (Corvus albus) Open
Many of the negative physiological effects of lead involve the hypothalamus, but the possibility that thermoregulation is affected has received little attention. We tested the hypothesis that lead exposure reduces avian thermoregulatory pe…
View article: Evolution of avian heat tolerance: The role of atmospheric humidity
Evolution of avian heat tolerance: The role of atmospheric humidity Open
The role of atmospheric humidity in the evolution of endotherms' thermoregulatory performance remains largely unexplored, despite the fact that elevated humidity is known to impede evaporative cooling capacity. Using a phylogenetically inf…
View article: Reporting guidelines for terrestrial respirometry: Building openness, transparency of metabolic and evaporative water loss data
Reporting guidelines for terrestrial respirometry: Building openness, transparency of metabolic and evaporative water loss data Open
Respirometry is an important procedure for understanding whole-animal energy and water balance. Consequently, the growing number of studies using respirometry over the last decade warrants reliable reporting and data sharing for effective …
View article: Thermal acclimatisation to heatwave conditions is rapid but sex-specific in wild zebra finches
Thermal acclimatisation to heatwave conditions is rapid but sex-specific in wild zebra finches Open
Under climate change, increasing air temperature average and variability pose substantial thermal challenges to animals. While plasticity in thermoregulatory traits could potentially attenuate this impact, whether thermal acclimatisation c…
View article: A trait-based assessment of southern African arid-zone birds' vulnerability to climate change
A trait-based assessment of southern African arid-zone birds' vulnerability to climate change Open
Trait-based assessments allow rapid evaluation of species' vulnerability to climate change, but often overlook subtle yet consequential interspecific variation in behavioural and physiological traits. We assessed 241 southern African arid-…
View article: An evaluation of a biophysical model for predicting avian thermoregulation in the heat
An evaluation of a biophysical model for predicting avian thermoregulation in the heat Open
Survival and reproduction of endotherms depend on their ability to balance energy and water exchange with their environment, avoiding lethal deficits and maximising gains for growth and reproduction. At high environmental temperatures, diu…
View article: Evidence for a maintenance cost for birds maintaining highly flexible basal, but not summit, metabolic rates
Evidence for a maintenance cost for birds maintaining highly flexible basal, but not summit, metabolic rates Open
Reversible phenotypic flexibility allows organisms to better match phenotypes to prevailing environmental conditions and may produce fitness benefits. Costs and constraints of phenotypic flexibility may limit the capacity for flexible resp…
View article: Avian Heterothermy: A Review of Patterns and Processes
Avian Heterothermy: A Review of Patterns and Processes Open
Synopsis Many birds reduce rest-phase energy demands through heterothermy, physiological responses involving facultative, reversible reductions in metabolic rate and body temperature (Tb). Here, we review the phylogenetic distribution and …
View article: Global patterns of climate change impacts on desert bird communities
Global patterns of climate change impacts on desert bird communities Open
The world’s warm deserts are predicted to experience disproportionately large temperature increases due to climate change, yet the impacts on global desert biodiversity remain poorly understood. Because species in warm deserts live close t…
View article: Biophysical approaches to predicting species vulnerability
Biophysical approaches to predicting species vulnerability Open
We provide a commentary on Briscoe et al. (2022) highlighting the opportunity that biophysical models provide for predicting species' responses to climate change.
View article: Codes for manuscript "Global Patterns of Climate Change Impacts on Desert Bird Communities"
Codes for manuscript "Global Patterns of Climate Change Impacts on Desert Bird Communities" Open
We deposited the codes for running the microclimate model and endotherm model used in the study. We made customized versions of micro_terra (for using downloaded climate data) and endo_devel (for changing sequence of thermoregulation strat…