Word of the Day - Estivation

[debodun]

Estivation (noun) - the state of dormancy induced by the heat and dryness of summer. The opposite if hibernation.

Some plants and animals exhibit estivation during the warmest part of summer.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Aestivation is generally defined as a type of dormancy, which is a survival strategy used to sustain lack of food and other extreme conditions (Pinder et al., 1992; Abe, 1995; Storey, 2002). Animals that aestivate become inactive and stop feeding in response to warm temperatures. Research on aestivation has focused on vertebrates, such as lung fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and certain invertebrates, such as mollusks.

The duration of aestivation varies among species; some enter this state for a few months, others for a longer period. During aestivation, the animals undergo important physiological and biochemical adjustments, such as changes in energy consumption, metabolic activity, and immune response. The molecular mechanisms underpinning these adjustments mainly include transcriptional and translational regulation, epigenetic modification, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and Akt-mediated signal transduction (Akt is a cytosolic protein kinase also known as protein kinase B, PKB).

Hypometabolism is considered key for the response to high temperature, drought, and other extreme conditions. The decrease in metabolic rate in aestivating animals, which can reach 70–80% of the resting value, and nearly 100% in some species, conserves energy to extend survival time (Pinder et al., 1992; Pedler et al., 1996; Guppy and Withers, 1999; Storey and Storey, 2010).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/estivation

Interesting scientific spelling.

 

[StarSong]

Very interesting. I didn't know the word for this before!

 

[Kaila]

Interesting posts, thank all of you.

I remembered those lizards that fall from the trees.

Likely Estivation.
In my Estimation.