Karin Maldonado

Doctora en Ciencias, mención en Ecología y Biología Evolutiva

Profesor Titular

FACULTAD DE ARTES LIBERALES

CHILE

Stgo, B, 237

Email: [email protected]

Karin Maldonado

Doctora en Ciencias, mención en Ecología y Biología Evolutiva

Doctora en Ciencias, mención en Ecología y Biología Evolutiva, Universidad de Chile, 2009.
Magíster en Docencia para la Educación Superior, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile.
Licenciada en Ciencias, mención en Biología, Universidad de Chile.

Su investigación se centra en el estudio de la biodiversidad animal en el contexto de la ecología funcional y la biología evolutiva. Parte de ésta, comprende el estudio del nicho ecológico a nivel de individuo, poblaciones y comunidades, utilizando herramientas como los isótopos estables y el modelamiento de nicho mecanicista. Asimismo, su investigación aborda cómo los animales enfrentan fisiológica y conductualmente, variaciones ambientales a corto y largo plazo, incluyendo aquellas de origen natural (estacionalidad) y las causadas por el hombre (cambio climático). Lo anterior, se refleja en publicaciones en diversas revistas WoS, participaciones en congresos nacionales e internacionales, y en la dirección de tesis de pre y postgrado.

Actualmente, es investigadora responsable de un FONDECYT regular, donde se investiga el efecto del calentamiento global en los patrones de distribución de las especies y participa de un NSF que evalúa a largo plazo las consecuencias de la variabilidad climática en ambientes áridos (LTER).

Individual and population variation in isotopic niche between two sympatric cormorant species</>

Piriz, G., Niklitschek, E., Gamín, V. & Maldonado, K., ene. 2026, In: PeerJ, 14.

Climate-driven resource availability drives medium- and broad-scale temporal changes in owl–prey interactions over 24 years in a semi-arid ecosystem</>

Quiroz-Calizaya, J., Lozada, A., Kelt, D., Troncoso, A., Meserve, P., Previtali, M., Milstead, W., Gutiérrez, J., Weideman, C., Gouin, N., Kartzinel, T., Maldonado, K. & Bertin, A., 2026, In: Ecography.

Seasonal Stability and Immune-Related Flexibility in the Functional Structure of Passerines From Central Chile</>

Ramírez-Otarola, N., Maldonado, K., Álvarez-Vergara, F., Navarrete, L. & Sabat, P., 2026, In: Integrative Zoology.

Drivers of body condition in South American sea lion pups along a latitudinal gradient</>

Guerrero, A., Vivanco, C., Pavez, G., Sabat, P., Maldonado, K., Barilari, M., Quiñones, R., Carrasco, P., Toro, F., Gutiérrez, J. & Sepúlveda, M., 2026, In: Conservation Physiology, 14, 1.

The interplay of resource availability and parent foraging strategies on juvenile sparrow individual specialization</>

Ricote, N., Weinberger, C., Ramírez-Otarola, N., Bustamante, S., Málaga, M., Barceló, G., Sabat, P., Newsome, S. & Maldonado, K., mar. 2025, In: Journal of Avian Biology, 2025, 2.

Impacts of an organophosphate pesticide and water restriction on physiology and immunity in the passerine Zonotrichia capensis</>

Corvalan, B., Alvarez-Vergara, F., Landaeta, D., Ramirez-Otarola, N., Sanchez-Hernandez, J., Maldonado, K., Nespolo, R., Newsome, S. & Sabat, P., feb. 2025, In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part - C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 288.

The interplay of resource availability and parent foraging strategies on juvenile sparrow individual specialization</>

Ricote, N., Weinberger, C., Ramírez-Otarola, N., Bustamante, S., Málaga, M., Barceló, G., Sabat, P., Newsome, S. & Maldonado, K., 2024, In: Journal of Avian Biology.

Seasonal changes in diet, immune function, and oxidative stress in three passerines inhabiting a Mediterranean climate</>

Ramírez-Otarola, N., Maldonado, K., Valdés-Ferranty, F., Newsome, S. & Sabat, P., dic. 2023, In: Oecologia, 203, 3-4, p. 395-405.

A multi-isotope approach reveals seasonal variation in the reliance on marine resources, production of metabolic water, and ingestion of seawater by two species of coastal passerine to maintain water balance</>

Navarrete, L., Lübcker, N., Alvarez, F., Nespolo, R., Sanchez-Hernandez, J., Maldonado, K., Sharp, Z., Whiteman, J., Newsome, S. & Sabat, P., 2023, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11.

Competition shapes individual foraging and survival in a desert rodent ensemble</>

Manlick, P., Maldonado, K. & Newsome, S., dic. 2021, In: Journal of Animal Ecology, 90, 12, p. 2806-2818.

Triple Oxygen Isotope Measurements (Δ'¹⁷O) of Body Water Reflect Water Intake, Metabolism, and δ¹⁸O of Ingested Water in Passerines</>

Sabat, P., Newsome, S., Pinochet, S., Nespolo, R., Sanchez-Hernandez, J., Maldonado, K., Gerson, A., Sharp, Z. & Whiteman, J., sep. 2021, In: Frontiers in Physiology, 12.

Nutritional ecology and ecological immunology in degus</>

Ramírez-Otarola, N., Maldonado, K., Cavieres, G., Bozinovic, F. & Sabat, P., feb. 2021, In: Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 335, 2, p. 239-249.

The interplay between ambient temperature and salt intake affects oxidative status and immune responses in a ubiquitous Neotropical passerine, the rufous-collared sparrow</>

Sabat, P., Bozinovic, F., Contreras-Ramos, C., Nespolo, R., Newsome, S., Quirici, V., Maldonado, K., Peña-Villalobos, I., Ramirez-Otarola, N. & Sanchez-Hernandez, J., ago. 2019, In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 234, p. 50-59.

Foraging strategies of individual silky pocket mice over a boom–bust cycle in a stochastic dryland ecosystem</>

Noble, J., Collins, S., Hallmark, A., Maldonado, K., Wolf, B. & Newsome, S., jul. 2019, In: Oecologia, 190, 3, p. 569-578.

Individual diet specialisation in sparrows is driven by phenotypic plasticity in traits related to trade-offs in animal performance</>

Maldonado, K., Newsome, S., Razeto-Barry, P., Ríos, J., Piriz, G. & Sabat, P., ene. 2019, In: Ecology Letters, 22, 1, p. 128-137.

Coping with salt water habitats</>

Sabat, P., Narváez, C., Peña-Villalobos, I., Contreras, C., Maldonado, K., Sanchez-Hernandez., J., Newsome, S., Nespolo, R. & Bozinovic, F., sep. 2017, In: Frontiers in Physiology, 8, SEP.

Temporal variation in isotopic composition of Pygoscelis penguins at Ardley Island, Antarctic</>

Negrete, P., Sallaberry, M., Barceló, G., Maldonado, K., Perona, F., McGill, R., Quillfeldt, P. & Sabat, P., abr. 2017, In: Polar Biology, 40, 4, p. 903-916.

Testing the niche variation hypothesis in a community of passerine birds</>

Maldonado, K., Bozinovic, F., Newsome, S. & Sabat, P., abr. 2017, In: Ecology, 98, 4, p. 903-908.

Energetic costs and implications of the intake of plant secondary metabolites on digestive and renal morphology in two austral passerines</>

Barceló, G., Ríos, J., Maldonado, K. & Sabat, P., jul. 2016, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 186, 5, p. 625-637.

Is maximum food intake in endotherms constrained by net or factorial aerobic scope? Lessons from the leaf-eared mouse</>

Maldonado, K., Sabat, P., Piriz, G., Bogdanovich, J., Nespolo, R. & Bozinovic, F., 2016, In: Frontiers in Physiology, 7, DEC.

Erratum to</>

Ríos, J., Barceló, G., Narváez, C., Maldonado, K. & Sabat, P., abr. 2015, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 185, 3, p. 367.

Feeding and digestive responses to fatty acid intake in two South American passerines with different food habits</>

Ríos, J., Barceló, G., Narváez, C., Maldonado, K. & Sabat, P., ago. 2014, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 184, 6, p. 729-739.

Geographic variation in the association between exploratory behavior and physiology in rufous-collared sparrows</>

Maldonado, K., van Dongen, W., Vásquez, R. & Sabat, P., nov. 2012, In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 85, 6, p. 618-624.

Phenotypic flexibility in basal metabolic rate is associated with rainfall variability among populations of rufous-collared sparrow</>

Maldonado, K., Bozinovic, F., Cavieres, G., Fuentes, C., Cortés, A. & Sabat, P., abr. 2012, In: Zoology, 115, 2, p. 128-133.

Adaptive cis-regulatory changes may involve few mutations</>

Razeto-Barry, P. & Maldonado, K., nov. 2011, In: Evolution, 65, 11, p. 3332-3335.

Within-species digestive tract flexibility in rufous-collared sparrows and the climatic variability hypothesis</>

Maldonado, K., Bozinovic, F., Rojas, J. & Sabat, P., jul. 2011, In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 84, 4, p. 377-384.

Between-population differences in digestive flexibility in the olivaceous field mouse</>

Bozinovic, F., Rojas, J., Maldonado, K., Sabat, P. & Naya, D., dic. 2010, In: Zoology, 113, 6, p. 373-377.

Geographic variation in the repeatability of a personality trait</>

Van Dongen, W., Maldonado, K., Sabat, P. & Vásquez, R., 2010, In: Behavioral Ecology, 21, 6, p. 1243-1250.

Physiological responses in rufous-collared sparrows to thermal acclimation and seasonal acclimatization</>

Maldonado, K., Cavieres, G., Veloso, C., Canals, M. & Sabat, P., abr. 2009, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 179, 3, p. 335-343.

Diet and habitat aridity affect osmoregulatory physiology</>

Sabat, P., Gonzalez-Vejares, S. & Maldonado, K., mar. 2009, In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 152, 3, p. 322-326.

Osmoregulation and adaptive radiation in the ovenbird genus Cinclodes (Passeriformes: Furnariidae)</>

Sabat, P., Maldonado, K., Canals, M. & Del Rio, C., oct. 2006, In: Functional Ecology, 20, 5, p. 799-805.

Osmoregulatory capacity and the ability to use marine food sources in two coastal songbirds (Cinclodes: Furnariidae) along a latitudinal gradient</>

Sabat, P., Maldonado, K., Fariña, J. & Del Rio, C., jun. 2006, In: Oecologia, 148, 2, p. 250-257.

Coping with salt without salt glands</>

Sabat, P., Maldonado, K., Rivera-Hutinel, A. & Farfan, G., jul. 2004, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 174, 5, p. 415-420.

Physiological and biochemical responses to dietary protein in the omnivore passerine Zonotrichia capensis (Emberizidae)</>

Sabat, P., Sepúlveda-Kattan, E. & Maldonado, K., feb. 2004, In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 137, 2, p. 391-396.