Biol. Bull. Sign up for etocs!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Biol Bull 58: 52-58. (February 1930)
© 1930 Marine Biological Laboratory
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HALL, F. G.
Right arrow Articles by ROOT, R. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by HALL, F. G.
Right arrow Articles by ROOT, R. W.

THE INFLUENCE OF HUMIDITY ON THE BODY TEMPERATURE OF CERTAIN POIKILOTHERMS

F. G. HALL 1 and R. W. ROOT 1

1 From the Zoölogical Laboratory, Duke University

1. Amphibians show marked response in body temperature to environmental variations in relative humidity. When subjected to an atmosphere of 7 per cent relative humidity at 20° C., a depression of several degrees centigrade may occur in their body temperature.

2. Reptiles show very little response to variations in relative humidity. The integument apparently prevents the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the body.

3. It is suggested that the evolution of the scaly integument of reptiles from the slimy and moist skin of amphibians, with the concomitant power of water retention, is perhaps an important step in the evolution of homoiothermism.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1930 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.