Infrared thermography cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates

McFarland, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8245-9269, Barrett, L, Fuller, A, Hetem, RS, Porter, WP, Young, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8919-2093 and Henzi, SP, 2020. Infrared thermography cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates. American Journal of Primatology, 82 (12): e23204. ISSN 0275-2565

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Abstract

Understanding the physiological processes that underpin primate performance is key if we are to assess how a primate might respond when navigating new and changing environments. Given the connection between a mammal's ability to thermoregulate and the changing demands of its thermal environment, increasing attention is being devoted to the study of thermoregulatory processes as a means to assess primate performance. Infrared thermography can be used to record the body surface temperatures of free-ranging animals. However, some uncertainty remains as to how these measurements can be used to approximate core body temperature. Here, we use data collected from wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to examine the relationship between infrared body surface temperature, core body (intra-abdominal) temperature, and local climate, to determine to what extent surface temperatures reflect core body temperature. While we report a positive association between surface and core body temperature—a finding that has previously been used to justify the use of surface temperature measurements as a proxy for core temperature regulation—when we controlled for the effect of the local climate in our analyses, this relationship was no longer observed. That is, body surface temperatures were solely predicted by local climate, and not core body temperatures, suggesting that surface temperatures tell us more about the environment a primate is in, and less about the thermal status of its body core in that environment. Despite the advantages of a noninvasive means to detect and record animal temperatures, infrared thermography alone cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	American Journal of Primatology
Creators:	McFarland, R., Barrett, L., Fuller, A., Hetem, R.S., Porter, W.P., Young, C. and Henzi, S.P.
Publisher:	Wiley
Date:	December 2020
Volume:	82
Number:	12
ISSN:	0275-2565
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1002/ajp.23204 DOI 1484347 Other
Rights:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: McFarland, R., Barrett, L., Fuller, A., Hetem, R. S., Porter, W. P., Young, C., & Henzi, S. P. (2020). Infrared thermography cannot be used to approximate core body temperature in wild primates. American Journal of Primatology, 82(12), which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23204 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Laura Ward
Date Added:	03 Nov 2021 11:47
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2021 11:09
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/44592

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