Critical thermal maximum, in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
, is the temperature for a given species above which most individuals respond with unorganized locomotion, subjecting the animal to likely death.
[R.W. McDiarmid, 1999] This concept is particularly relevant in periods of
aestivation
Aestivation ( la, aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and ...
or
quiescence
Quiescence (/kwiˈɛsəns/) is a state of quietness or inactivity. It may refer to:
* Quiescence search, in game tree searching (adversarial search) in artificial intelligence, a quiescent state is one in which a game is considered stable and unl ...
, in which circumstances an organism experiences limited mobility and lacks the ability to seek a
microhabitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
of reduced thermal stress.
See also
*
Aestivation
Aestivation ( la, aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and ...
*
Physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
*
Torpor
Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time ...
Line notes
References
* Roy W. McDiarmid and Ronald Altig (1999) ''Tadpoles: The Biology of Anuran Larvae'', p 202, University of Chicago Press
Animal physiology
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