Presenters :Presenters : Arthur Cheung (bo_cklab@stu.ust.hk Arthur Cheung (bo_cklab@stu.ust.hk

Louis Shum (bo_sht@stu.ust.hk)Louis Shum (bo_sht@stu.ust.hk)

The Hong Kong University of The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyScience and Technology

Department of BiologyDepartment of Biology

http://www.ust.hkhttp://www.ust.hk

http://www.ust.hk/~webbo/http://www.ust.hk/~webbo/

What Is Adaptation?What Is Adaptation?

Adaptation:

• An inherited trait or set of traits that increases the chances of survival and reproduction of an organism in a particular environment.

• In different habitats, each species has its own set of characters for survival.

What Is Adaptation?What Is Adaptation?

• Natural Selection

= Survival of the fittest + Selective Pressure (Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, 1859)

• Sexual selection (性選擇 )

• Ecological selection (生態選擇 )

Harsh Habitats in Our BiosphereHarsh Habitats in Our Biosphere

• South Poles (南極 )• Tropical Rain Forest

(熱帶雨林 )• Desert (沙漠 )• Hydrothermal Vent

(熱泉 )

http://www.learninglive.co.uk/srb-projects/internet/pages/habitat%20adaptation/webpages/habitatindex.html

South Poles (South Poles ( 南極南極 ))

• Temperature: -40oC in average, can be as low as -57oC

• Winds: up to 100 mph http://eosl.csl.uiuc.edu/home/images/SP/SouthPole_

Station%5B1%5D.jpg

http://www.mreclipse.com/Store/LM1/image/LM1-01w.JPG

Tropical Rain ForestTropical Rain Forest ( (熱帶雨林熱帶雨林 ))

• Rainfall:

250-1000cm/ year

• Temperature: ~35oC

• Climate:

Hot and wet

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm

Desert (Desert ( 沙漠沙漠 ))

• Rainfall: <25cm/year

• Temperature: >40oC in daytime

• Climate:

Hot and dry

http://bama.ua.edu/~liu025/photo/China%20Phote/TengGeli%20Desert.JPG

http://midsun.uwaterloo.ca/images/msvi/asc/Desert.jpg

Hydrothermal Vents (Hydrothermal Vents ( 熱泉熱泉 ))

http://statusreports-atp.nist.gov/reports/images/deep-sea.jpg

• Temperature: 390oC

• High hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methane (CH4): food sources of some organisms

• Geo-chemical energy

Case Study: Penguin (Case Study: Penguin ( 企鵝企鵝 ))

Reasons for choosing this model: • Can be found in extreme environments (e.g. S

outh Pole) and in other habitats (e.g. South Africa)

• Penguins in different habitats have different adaptation characteristics

• Video: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/highspeed/2004/08/20040823news.html?format=wm&vid=20040823ngppenguins.asf  

Evolution of PenguinsEvolution of Penguins

http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Evolution/evolve.html

Phylogenetic Tree

What Problems What Problems Do Penguins Face?Do Penguins Face?

- Abiotic Factors (非生物性因素 )

- Biotic Factors (生物性因素 )

Abiotic Factors (Abiotic Factors ( 非生物性因素非生物性因素 ))

• Non-living factors affecting the life of organisms– Light– Temperature – Atmospheric gases

South Pole: • Temperature: -40oC in average, can be as low as -57oC• Winds: Strong winds up to 100 mph

Biotic FactorsBiotic Factors ( (生物性因素生物性因素 ))

• Environmental influences resulting from the activities of living organisms

– Competition (競爭 )

• Interspecific competition (種間競爭 )

• Intraspecific competition(種內競爭 )

– Predation (捕食 )

PredationPredation

Penguins are preys of:

• Leopard seals (海豹 )

• Killer whales (殺人鯨 )

• Sharks (鯊魚 )

Leopard SealsLeopard Seals

http://www.dougallan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/picpops/images/lectures_da15.jpg

Killer WhalesKiller Whales

http://menua.aic.net/~vvk/seaa/orc/orca11.jpg

SharksSharks

http://www.laups.org/cgray/images/blue.jpg http://seashadows.narod.ru/rus/images/im020.jpg

How Do Penguins Adapt to the How Do Penguins Adapt to the Environment?Environment?

http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/PhotoIndex/SPH_PICS.htm

Adaptation of PenguinsAdaptation of Penguins

(1) Morphological (形態上 )

(2) Physiological (生理上 )

(3) Behavioral (行為上 )

(1) Morphological Adaptation(1) Morphological Adaptation

• Feather

• Bone

• Different colors in dorsal and ventral parts of the body

Which Feather Belongs to Penguin?Which Feather Belongs to Penguin?

http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Animals/intermediate/birds-01.html

http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Penguins/physical.html

FeatherFeather

• 4 layers of feathers

• Shiny feathers uniformly overlap to cover the skin

• Highly specialized: short, broad, and closely spaced

• Tufts of down on the feather shafts: insulation (隔熱 )

Which Skeleton Design Makes Which Skeleton Design Makes Penguin a Good Diver?Penguin a Good Diver?

http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html

http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/anatomon.htm

http://192.107.108.56/portfolios/h/harris_d/final/sectns.htm

Different Colors in Dorsal and Different Colors in Dorsal and Ventral PartsVentral Parts

• Ventral part(腹部 ): White• Dorsal part (背部 ): Black

Why different colors in dorsal and ventral parts?

(2) Physiological Adaptation(2) Physiological Adaptation

Characteristics unique in South Pole species:

• Recycle of body heat

• Mechanism of diving

• Preservation of food

Recycle of Body HeatRecycle of Body Heat

http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/bio366/Image71.jpg

Mechanism of DivingMechanism of Diving

http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/bio366/Image71.jpg

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2004/Gooch/index.htm

The most important mechanism involved in diving is oxygen saving.

• Reduced heart rate • Change in blood flow (by-passing) and reduc

ed sensitivity to CO2

Mechanism of DivingMechanism of Diving

Reduced Heart RateReduced Heart Rate

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2004/Gooch/oxygen.htm#adl

Change in Blood Flow and Reduced Change in Blood Flow and Reduced Sensitivity to COSensitivity to CO22

• Increased oxygen supply to skeletal muscle

• Reduced blood flow to brain, heart and lungs

• Prevent termination of breathing

– Reduce receptors’ sensitivity in brain to CO2

Preservation of FoodPreservation of Food

Proteins in stomach for preservation of food

• Antimicrobial peptides

– Example: β-defensins (Sugiarto et al., 2004 )

• Spheniscins (Landon et al., 2004)

– Work with other antimicrobial peptides

– Preserve food for several weeks during incubation of eggs

(3) Behavioral(3) Behavioral AdaptationAdaptation

Characteristics unique in South Pole species:

• Huddling

• Drawing neck and flipper tightly against the body

• Sharing parental duties

Why Do Penguins Why Do Penguins Form Colonies in Winters?Form Colonies in Winters?

http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=3524

HuddlingHuddling

• Density: 10 individuals per m2

• Reduces heat loss up to 50%

– Temperature inside the huddle can be as high as 35oC

• Prolongs fat storage

HuddlingHuddling

In windy days, individuals at the edge are exposed to the wind and therefore have a higher rate of heat loss.

• They shift from edge to center to keep their bodies warm.

• They move together with their chicks.

Neck and Flipper Drawn Tightly Neck and Flipper Drawn Tightly against Bodyagainst Body

• Why do penguins always draw their neck and flipper tightly against the body?– Minimize surface

area contact with the surrounding

– Reduce heat loss

http://englishnf.pinguins.info/

Sharing Parental DutiesSharing Parental Duties

• Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) incubate eggs without eating for 65 days

• Females search for food and help in incubation

– How can females find their partners?

• They recognize their partners by voice

http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/penguins/adelie.shtml

Penguins’ callPenguins’ call

• Parents can stop eating in turn for more than 3 months to take care of the chicks

• Feeding chicks with fish and squid by regurgitation

Sharing Parental DutiesSharing Parental Duties

Sharing Parental DutiesSharing Parental Duties

http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=3524

http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=3524

Summary

• Purpose of adaptation: Increases the chances of survival and reproduction of an organism in a particular environment.

• Forms of adaptation: Morphological, physiological, behavioral

• Case study: Penguins

– Characteristics found in South Pole species different from those in South Africa

Major ReferencesMajor References

1. Akwarium Gdynskie, http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=35242. Animal, http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Animals/intermediate/birds-01.html3. Animal explore discover connect,

http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Penguins/physical.html4. Animal diversity web,

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sphenisciformes.html

5. Antarctic connection, http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/wildlife/penguins/adelie.shtml

6. Australian Antarctic Division, http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=35247. BBC weather center, http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/weatherbasics/zon

es_desert.shtml8. Boreal Ecology, http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/bio366/Image71.jpg9. Charles Darwin, The Origin of species, Modern Library. P.108-11710. Diving mechanism in Penguins, http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/

animalphysiology/websites/2004/Gooch/oxygen.htm#adl

Major ReferencesMajor References11. Landon C, Thouzeau C, Labbe H, Bulet P, Vovelle F (2004). Solution structure of sphen

iscin, a beta-defensin from the penguin stomach. J Biol Chem. 2004 Jul 16;279(29):30433-9

12. Paul and Bernice Noll's Window on the World, http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Avian-Skeleton.html

13. Penguins around the world, http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/penguins/species.html14. Pete & Barb’s Penguin Pages, http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/anatomon.htm15. Rezende EL, Swanson DL, Novoa FF, Bozinovic F (2001) Passerines versus nonpasseri

nes: so far, no statistical differences in the scaling of avian energetics. The journal of Experimental Biology 205, 101-107 (2002)

16. Sugiarto H., Yu PL (2004), Avian antimicrobial peptides: the defense role of β-defensins. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication 323 (2004) 721-727

17. Tropical Rain forest, http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/rainforest.htm18. The climate of tropical rain forest, http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/rainforest_climate_students.

htm19. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_selection20. World Habitat,

http://www.learninglive.co.uk/srb-projects/internet/pages/habitat%20adaptation/webpages/habitatindex.html

Enjoy the nature

Acknowledgements• Prof. K.L. CHOW• Prof. Philip I.K. SOU• Prof. Michael K.Y. WONG• Dr. T.K. GOH• Dr. Maggie LI• Dr. Ice KO• Dr. Y.Y. REN• Mr. Wilfred LEUNG• Mr. Jack LI• Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching

This project is funded by the Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching of HKUST.