Summary
Photoperiod plays an important role in controlling the annual reproductive cycle of the male lizard Anolis carolinensis. The nature of photoperiodic time measurement in Anolis was investigated by exposing anoles to 3 different kinds of lighting paradigms (resonance, T cycles, and night breaks) to determine if photoperiodic time measurement involves the circadian system. Both the reproductive response and the patterns of entrainment of the activity rhythm were assessed. The results show that the circadian system is involved in photoperiodic time measurement in this species and that a discrete photoinducible phase resides in the latter half of the animals' subjective night. Significantly, the ability of the circadian system to execute photoperiodic time measurement is crucially dependent on the length of the photoperiod. Resonance, T cycle and night break cycles utilizing a photoperiod 10–11 h in duration reveal circadian involvement whereas these same cycles utilizing 6 or 8 h photoperiods do not.
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Abbreviations
- CRPP :
-
circadian rhythm of photoperiodic sensitivity
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Underwood, H., Hyde, L.L. A circadian clock measures photoperiodic time in the male lizard Anolis carolinensis . J Comp Physiol A 167, 231–243 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188116