Gazelles shrink liver and heart to reduce oxygen...
Rated • 3 reviews • physiology, gazelles, adaptation to desert • eurekalert.org
"How do gazelles and other large desert mammals adjust their physiology to survive when food and water are in short supply?"
A fascinating new study reveals that sand gazelles in the deserts of Saudi Arabia have evolved the ability to shrink oxygen-demanding organs such as the liver and heart, allowing them to breathe less. Fewer breaths reduce the amount of water lost to respiratory evaporation during prolonged periods of drought -- important because there are few sources of drinking water, so vegetation must be relied upon for both food and water requirements.
Images: Stéphane Ostrowski
