Thermal history can affect the short-term thermal acclimation of basal metabolic rate in the passerine Zonotrichia capensis

The obligatory cost of living for endotherms is measured by basal metabolic rate (BMR), a variable that is known to change after thermal acclimation. However, the relative timing between variation in ambient temperature and BMR is not well understood. in this study, we addressed this problem in the sparrow Zonotrichia capensis, studying whether previous thermal history affects the response of BMR to a new acclimation temperature. We found that after 4 weeks of acclimation either to 30 or 15 degrees C birds exhibited significant differences in BMR from pre-acclimation levels. Nevertheless, after a re-acclimation to the opposite treatment for six additional weeks, in the group previously acclimated to warm conditions the change in BMR was significantly greater than in the group previously acclimated to cold. We also found differences in the mass of the small intestine between groups but constancy in the mass of liver, kidney and heart masses at the end of the experiments. Our results indicate that the thermal history affects metabolic adjustments and highlights the importance of considering this when evaluating the plasticity of metabolic traits in small birds. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.