Summary
White-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows were held under a variety of light cycles in which a main 8-hour light period was combined with dark periods of varying durations. Gonadal growth was not observed in birds under cycles of 24-(8L∶16D), 48-(8L∶40D) or 72-hours (8L∶64D). Growth was initiated in sparrows under cycles of 36-(8L∶28D) and 60-hours (8L∶52D). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that circadian rhythmicity is involved in photoperiodic time measurement during the initiation of gonadal growth in birds.
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I wish to thank C. S. Pittendrigh for his support through the Whitehall Foundation and M. Menaker for his comments and criticism. Support for the preparation of this manuscript was provided by a NIH grant (HD-000268).
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Turek, F.W. Circadian rhythmicity and the initiation of gonadal growth in sparrows. J. Comp. Physiol. 92, 59–64 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696526
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00696526