Met tulemma!

Lapinlehmän ja ihmisen yhteiselämä pohjoisessa on kestänyt vuosisatoja, ja tuo suhde on luovinut läpi muutosten. Meän lapinlehmä -näyttelyni Rovaniemen kotiseutumuseolla kesällä 2022 toi esille lehmän, ihmisen ja luonnon vuorovaikutusta. Kesänavetan ovi kävi vilkkaasti myös valtakunnallisten kotiseutupäivien aikana syyskuussa. Vilkas yleisötapahtuma tarjosi näyttelylle taidekasvatuksellisesti antoisan foorumin

Afrikan taivaan alla Masai Marassa

Heinäkuussa 2008 Keniassa Masai Maran luonnonreservaatissa pidettiin kansainvälinen eläintieteen konferenssi. Kyseessä oli joka neljäs vuosi pidettävä ”4th International Conference in Africa for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry”. Teemat vaihtelivat eläinten migraatiosta molekyylibiologiaan. Yleisiksi huolenaiheiksi nousivat ilmastonmuutos ja habitaattien pirstoutuminen

Thermoregulation in reindeer

Thermoregulation was studied in Finnish reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L) on captive and herded individuals during 1977-85. Newborn calves maintained a high rectal temperature (Tre) (+39 to +41°C) even at —23°C by increasing heat production 5- to 6-fold through non-shivering thermogenesis, stimulated by cold-induced noradrenaline (NA). Plasma NA and thyroxine (T4) were high (18 ng/ml and 459 nmol/1) in neonatal reindeer. Sensitivity to exogenous NA was lost during the first 3-4 weeks of life. At +20°C and above, calves increased Tre (ca 1°C), oxygen consumption and heart rate, thereby showing poor heat tolerance. Thermal conductance was low in a cold environment, but rose sharply as ambient temperature (Ta) increased above + 10°C. The Tre of adults (+ 38 to +39°C) was independent of Ta (—28 to +15°C). Coarse (hollow) hair density and length in adults averaged 2000/cm2 and 12 mm on the legs, 1000/cm3 and 30 mm on the abdomen and 1700/cm2 and 30 mm on the back (calves 3200/cm2, 10 mm), respectively. The dependence of skin temperature on the Ta was linear in excised fur samples, but complex in living animals being strongest in the legs. Serum adrenaline correlated with the weight, age and total lipids. Serum NA and dopamine-fi-hydroxylase were highest in spring and decreased by autumn. Serum T4 was highest in summer and lowest in spring

No association of BMI and body adiposity with cardiometabolic biomarkers among a small sample of reindeer herders of sub-Arctic Finland

The rising global obesity rate is alarming due to its real health and socioeconomic consequences. Finland, like other circumpolar regions, is also experiencing a rise in obesity . Here we assess BMI, body adiposity, and measures of cardiometabolic health among a small population of reindeer herders in sub-Arctic Finland. We collected anthropometric and biomarker measures at two different time points: October 2018 (N = 20) and January 2019 (N = 21) with a total of 25 unique individuals across the data collection periods (ages 20–64). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, age, and body composition. Biomarkers included measures of cholesterol, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Over 70% of this sample was classified as “overweight” and “obese” as categorised by BMI and 64% classified as “overfat” based on body fat percentage. However, there was no significant relationship between BMI and body fat percentage with any of the measured biomarkers. Although the sample size is small, the results of this study suggest there might not be a strong correlation between BMI, body adiposity, and cardiometabolic health indices within this population – a pattern that has been documented elsewhere. However, further study is needed to confirm this lack of a correlation