Abstract: The theme of animal physiological ecology (or ecological physiology)is the adaptation of animals to their environment.
Physiological ecologists usually use the physiological data to understand the ecological questions relevant to animals’ survival and reproduction,and try to interpret the way and reason of animal’s physiological adaptation and evolution.For nearly 70 years,evolutionary theory has great effect on the development of physiological ecology,and the findings of physiological ecology also make great contributions to the development of evolutionary biology. Here we focus on some aspects of physiological ecology of small mammals,namely body size and metabolism,digestive physiology,ecological immunology and hibernation (torpor),to briefly review some achievements and the implication of evolutionary theory.

Key words: Adaptation, Body size, Digestion, Evolution, Hibernation, Immunity, Physiological ecology

摘要： 动物生理生态学是一门利用生理学的手段和方法研究与动物的生存和繁殖相关的生态学问题的交叉学科,
旨在阐明动物对环境适应和进化的生理机制。在近70 年的发展历程中,进化生物学的思想和理论越来越紧密地
融入到生理生态学的研究中,同时生理生态学的研究结果也在充实着进化生物学理论的发展。本文根据作者多
年的研究经历,从动物的体型和代谢特征、消化生理、生态免疫和冬眠等几个侧面,简述了小型哺乳动物生理
生态学的某些研究进展和进化思想对该领域的影响。

关键词: 生理生态学, 进化, 适应, 免疫, 消化, 冬眠, 体型