| It has been hypothesized that species belonging to the Sturnidae-Muscicapidae lineage, despite having generalist diets comprising fruits with sugars of diverse kinds, do not express intestinal sucrase. In order to increase the taxonomical range of species for which sucrase intestinal activity has been investigated, we analyzed the relationship between enzymatic activity (sugar digestion) and feeding preference for native fruits containing sucrose, in two South American members of the superfamily Muscicapoidea, the Austral thrush (Turdus falcklandii) and the Chilean mockingbird (Mimus thenca). We hypothesized that these birds would lack intestinal sucrase activity and that in preference tests they would reject sucrose solutions. Both thrushes and... |
