Photic and non-photic effects on the daily activity pattern of Mongolian gerbils

Weinert, Dietmar; Weinandy, René; Gattermann, Rolf

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.09.019

Cited by 45 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…However, when locomotor activity was measured by wheel-running, they found that activity was directly suppressed by a brief pulse of light and enhanced by a brief pulse of darkness (Redlin et al 2004). Similar results were found for the Mongolian gerbil; light had little direct effect on locomotor activity as measured by infrared devices but large suppressive effects on activity as measured by wheel-running (Weinert et al 2007). Therefore, it appears that running wheel activity may develop a nocturnal phasing in diurnal species due to a direct inhibition by light.…”

Section: Biological Rhythm Research 275supporting

confidence: 75%

“…However, it is certainly caused by laboratory conditions. A similar phenomenon has been observed in two other diurnal species: Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus; Blanchong et al 1999), and Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus; Weinert et al 2007). In these species, the cause of this wheel-induced phase-switch appeared to be two-fold: (1) a direct, suppressive effect of light on wheelrunning activity, and (2) a reversal in the phasing of activity output from the circadian Figure 3.…”

supporting

confidence: 80%

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Circadian organization of the diurnal Caviomorph rodent,Octodon degus

Hagenauer

Lee

2008

Biological Rhythm Research

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The Octodon degus, or degu, is an excellent animal model for studying the theoretical and neural underpinnings of diurnality. The power of this model comes from their unique evolutionary lineage, long lives, and relative ease of care in the laboratory for a non-domesticated species. We have summarized the field and laboratory data indicating the critical variables that influence the degus' phase preference and the possible mechanisms for the phase flexibility observed in the field and laboratory. We also review studies examining the physiology and anatomy of light and non-photic inputs to the degu circadian system and studies of the circadian pacemaker itself, with particular emphasis placed on characteristics that appear to be convergent adaptations to a diurnal niche. Finally, we begin to seek the origin for the diurnally-phased activity output of the degu, although we conclude that significant work remains to be done.

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Section: Biological Rhythm Research 275supporting

confidence: 75%

supporting

confidence: 80%

Circadian organization of the diurnal Caviomorph rodent,Octodon degus

Hagenauer

Lee

2008

Biological Rhythm Research

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“…For instance, the Mongolian jird displays crepuscular activity under natural conditions (Stutz, 1972, Pietrewicz et al, 1982, but when it has access to a running wheel, its activity pattern is nocturnal (Weinert et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A tale of two jirds: The locomotory activity patterns of the King jird (Meriones rex) and Lybian jird (Meriones lybicus) from Saudi Arabia

Alagaili

Mohammed

Bennett

et al. 2013

Journal of Arid Environments

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The animal-environment interaction is complex, and the ability to temporally organise locomotor activity provides adaptive and survival advantages. We investigated daily and circadian locomotor activity patterns of two jird species from Arabia occurring in dramatically different environments to determine the environmental effect on activity. The King jird occurs in mountainous regions of Azir where climatic conditions are cool and wet, while the Libyan jird inhabits low-lying hot sandy deserts where temperatures exceed 45ºC during summer.Six King jirds and nine Libyan jirds were subjected to a 12L:12D light cycle, a period of constant darkness (DD) and an inversed 12D:12L light cycle. Five of six King jirds and all Libyan jirds showed entrainment of their activity to the light cycles, most animals exhibited nocturnal activity. All entraining jirds showed circadian rhythmicity, with the periods of the rhythms very close to 24 hours. Entraining jirds inversed their activity patterns when the light cycle was inversed. The two jird species displayed comparable amounts of nocturnal activity in all light cycles presented. The King jird showed larger intraspecific variability than the Libyan jird, which may reflect more plasticity in its circadian clock, allowing it to adapt quicker to environmental changes.

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“…However, in laboratory conditions with a square wave lighting regime similar to our experiment, two peaks of activity were observed, one during the first half of the day and another during the light:dark transition period. When a running wheel was available, all animals switched their activity to nocturnal (Weinert et al 2007). Two other species of gerbil (Gerbillus andersoni and G. pyramidum) also displayed nocturnal wheel running activity (Demas et al 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two other species of gerbil (Gerbillus andersoni and G. pyramidum) also displayed nocturnal wheel running activity (Demas et al 2001). It has been suggested that access to a running wheel increases nocturnal activity (Weinert et al 2007). Although it makes sense for desert dwelling rodents to confine their activity to darkness and seek refuge in their burrows during the heat of the day, it seems that the amount of activity that these desert animals display during the night is determined by the conditions under which they are tested.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lights Out, Let's Move About: Locomotory Activity Patterns of Wagner's Gerbil from the Desert of Saudi Arabia

et al. 2012

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We investigated the circadian activity rhythm in the little-studied Wagner's gerbil (Gerbillus dasyurus) from the Raydah Protected Area, southwestern Saudi Arabia. In order to assess whether these animals possess an endogenous rhythm of locomotor activity that entrains to the light:dark cycle, they were subjected to three distinct light cycles: an LD cycle (12 h light/12 h dark), a DD cycle (constant darkness) and a DL light cycle (an inverse of the LD light cycle). All eight individuals studied exhibited entrainment of their activity to the light cycles. Under LD, the total percentage of activity during the dark phase was 93.7 ± 1.8%. Activity was distributed throughout the night (mean peak activity 22:46 ± 0:14). All eight animals expressed distinct endogenous free-running rhythms of locomotor activity (mean í = 23:55 ± 0:36). During constant darkness, animals still displayed more activity during the subjective night (75.6 ± 0.4%). Under the DL light cycle, the total percentage of activity was 92.7 ± 1.8% during the dark phase. In conclusion, the daily locomotor activity rhythm of Wagner's gerbil is strongly entrained by the light:dark cycle with the most activity concentrated during the night and consequently this desert-dwelling mammal may thus be considered truly nocturnal.

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Photic and non-photic effects on the daily activity pattern of Mongolian gerbils

Cited by 45 publications

References 45 publications

Circadian organization of the diurnal Caviomorph rodent,Octodon degus

Circadian organization of the diurnal Caviomorph rodent,Octodon degus

A tale of two jirds: The locomotory activity patterns of the King jird (Meriones rex) and Lybian jird (Meriones lybicus) from Saudi Arabia

Lights Out, Let's Move About: Locomotory Activity Patterns of Wagner's Gerbil from the Desert of Saudi Arabia

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