Seasonal, energy-conserving neural adaptions could allow shrews to reduce their metabolic demands during winter, a study finds. Animals adapt to changing environmental conditions such as seasonal cycles to enhance their chances of survival. Although seasonal variation is associated with well-known behavioral patterns such as hibernation, the effects on the brain have not been clear. To address this question, Saikat Ray, Robert Naumann, and colleagues examined seasonal changes in neural structure and activity in the smallest terrestrial mammal—the Etruscan shrew—which faces extreme physiological demands and adversity during winter due to its exceptionally high metabolic rate and low energy reserves.
source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-shrew-brain-winter.html
