Document Detail


The relationship between the golden spiny mouse circadian system and its diurnal activity: an experimental field enclosures and laboratory study.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17701675     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Examples of animals that switch activity times between nocturnality and diurnality in nature are relatively infrequent. Furthermore, the mechanism for switching activity time is not clear: does a complete inversion of the circadian system occur in conjunction with activity pattern? Are there switching centers downstream from the internal clock that interpret the clock differently? Or does the switch reflect a masking effect? Answering these key questions may shed light on the mechanisms regulating activity patterns and their evolution. The golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus) can switch between nocturnal and diurnal activity. This study investigated the relationship between its internal circadian clock and its diurnal activity pattern observed in the field. The goal is to understand the mechanisms underlying species rhythm shifts in order to gain insight into the evolution of activity patterns. All golden spiny mice had opposite activity patterns in the field than those under controlled continuous dark conditions in the laboratory. Activity and body temperature patterns in the field were diurnal, while in the laboratory all individuals immediately showed a free-running rhythm starting with a nocturnal pattern. No phase transients were found toward the preferred nocturnal activity pattern, as would be expected in the case of true entrainment. Moreover, the fact that the free-running activity patterns began from the individuals' subjective night suggests that golden spiny mice are nocturnal and that their diurnality in their natural habitat in the field results from a change that is downstream to the internal clock or reflects a masking effect.
Authors:
Ofir Levy; Tamar Dayan; Noga Kronfeld-Schor
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Chronobiology international     Volume:  24     ISSN:  0742-0528     ISO Abbreviation:  Chronobiol. Int.     Publication Date:  2007  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-08-16     Completed Date:  2007-11-09     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8501362     Medline TA:  Chronobiol Int     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  599-613     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Body Temperature
Circadian Rhythm*
Darkness
Female
Male
Motor Activity
Murinae / physiology*
Telemetry
Temperature

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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