Editing Muskox (section)

== Physiology ==
Muskox are [[Heterothermy|heterothermic]] mammals, meaning they have the ability to shut off thermal regulation in some parts of their body, like their lower limbs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Brix |first1=O. |last2=Bårdgard |first2=A. |last3=Mathisen |first3=S. |last4=Tyler |first4=N. |last5=Nuutinen |first5=M. |last6=Condo |first6=S. G. |last7=Giardina |first7=B. |date=1990 |title=Oxygen transport in the blood of arctic mammals: adaptation to local heterothermia |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2335593/ |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology B |volume=159 |issue=6 |pages=655–660 |doi=10.1007/BF00691710 |issn=0174-1578 |pmid=2335593 |s2cid=25028935}}</ref> Maintaining the lower limbs at a cooler temperature than the rest of their body helps reduce the loss of body heat from their extremities. Muskox display the unique characteristic of having [[hemoglobin]] that is three times less temperature sensitive than human hemoglobin.<ref name=":0" /> This temperature insensitivity allows the muskox's hemoglobin to have a heightened oxygen affinity in an extremely cold environment and continue to diffuse high amounts of oxygen into its cold tissues.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brix |first1=O. |last2=Bårdgard |first2=A. |last3=Mathisen |first3=S. |last4=el Sherbini |first4=S. |last5=Condò |first5=S. G. |last6=Giardina |first6=B. |date=1989 |title=Arctic life adaptation--II. The function of musk ox (Ovibos muschatos) hemoglobin |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2598629/ |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B |volume=94 |issue=1 |pages=135–138 |doi=10.1016/0305-0491(89)90023-0 |issn=0305-0491 |pmid=2598629}}</ref>