Abstract
It has long been suspected that light conditions play a role in the annual cycle of the sexual function in animals. Rowan (1925–1928), for example, observed North American finches who migrate every fall to their far distant winter quarters in the south. In captured birds, artificial daylight approximating the length of days in summer induced premature activity of the gonads, which had already regressed to their winter minimum. This exposure to light interrupted the natural migratory rhythm. Upon being set free, the finches broke off their migration and returned north even though it was still winter.
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© 1979 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
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Hollwich, F. (1979). Light and Sexual Function. In: The Influence of Ocular Light Perception on Metabolism in Man and in Animal. Topics in Environmental Physiology and Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6132-2_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6132-2_10
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-6134-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-6132-2
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