Ecology and Evolution of Metabolic Rate-Body Temperature Co-regulation: Insights from Distinct Levels of Biological Organization

Animals respond to fluctuating thermal environments through thermoregulation and the adjustment of cellular processes. In ectothermic animals, thermal conformers, environmental temperature directly dictates body temperature, driving the rates of all metabolic and cellular processes. Conversely, endothermic animals, thermal specialists, physiologically maintain a relatively stable core body temperature, tightly linking temperature regulation to metabolic output. Under the accelerating threat of climate change and extreme heatwaves, understanding the processes behind body temperature and metabolic (co-)regulation is imperative to infer limitations in response to environmental dynamics.This Research Topic aims to integrate physiological, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives on the (co-)regulation of body temperature and metabolic rate at different levels of biological organization. By bridging cellular and organismal physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution, this collection gathers diverse perspectives on the (co-)regulation of body temperature and metabolic rate. We welcome studies investigating this (co-)regulation across diverse taxa, biological scales, and environments. Both field and laboratory studies are encouraged, as well as comparative, phylogenetic, theoretical, and modeling approaches that offer insights into the trade-offs and adaptive significance of co-regulation. We invite submissions of original research on the following themes:- Biophysical and biochemical drivers.- Molecular and genetic mechanisms.- Intraspecific, among- and within-individual co-variation.- Intrinsic and extrinsic factors shaping individual and population-level variations.- Ontogenetic development and phenotypic plasticity across life stages.- Medical perspectives and clinical applications in response to extreme conditions.- Phylogenetic co-evolution tracking the historical and evolutionary trajectories.- Thermal conformers and thermal specialists across distinct physiological boundaries.- Hypometabolic states during dormancy, torpor, and hibernation.- Macroecological predictors and geographic patterns of co-regulation- Responses to rising temperatures and extreme weather events. Topic editors: Facundo Luna, Zbyszek Boratyński Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84250/ecology-and-evolution-of-metabolic-rate-body-temperature-co-regulation-insights-from-distinct-levels-of-biological-organization