Abstract
During the last years, evidence has been accumulated indicating that the annual cycles of physiological and behavioral functions in animals are often preprogrammed as endogenous circannual rhythms. Under seasonally constant environmental conditions these rhythms persist for several cycles with periods deviating from year, whereas under natural conditions they are usually synchronized by seasonal changes in the environment, particularly that of photoperiod. Hence, the annual rhythm of photoperiod constitutes a Zeitgeber for the endogenous rhythmicity rather than providing causal stimuli that release particular activities at particular times of the year. On the basis of this new concept several peculiarities of annual biological rhythms under the influence of photoperiodic cycles with different properties can be better understood, at least at a formal level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bünning, E.: Die Physiologische Uhr. Berlin: Springer 1977
Aschoff, J. (ed.): Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology, Vol. 5, Biological Rhythms. New York: Plenum Press (in press)
Palmer, J.D.: Biol. Rev. 48, 377 (1973)
Neumann, D., in: [2]
Pengelley, E.T. (ed.): Circannual Clocks. New York: Academic Press 1974
Gwinner, E., in: [2]
Menaker, M., in: [5], p. 507
Farner, D.S., Lewis, R.A., in: Photophysiology, Vol. 6, p. 325 (A.C. Giese, ed.). New York: Academic Press 1971
Lofts, B., Murton, R.K.: J. Zool. Lond. 155, 327 (1968)
Farner, D.S., Follett, B.K., in: Hormones and Evolution, p. 129 (E.J.W. Barrington, ed.). London: Academic Press 1979
Bissonette, T.H.: Wilson Bull. 49, 241 (1937)
Burger, J.W.: ibid. 61, 211 (1949)
Gwinner, E., in: Biological Clocks in Seasonal Reproductive Cycles (B.K. Follett, ed.). Bristol: Wright 1981
Goss, R.J.: J. Exp. Zool. 171, 223 (1969)
Pengelley, E.T., Asmundson, S.J., in: [5], p. 95
Davis, D.E.: Quart. Rev. Biol. 51, 477 (1976)
Pengelley, E.P., et al.: Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 52A, 273 (1976)
Davis, D.E.: Physiol. Zool. 40, 391 (1967)
Berthold, P.: Endogene Jahresperiodik. Konstanzer Universitätsreden 69. Konstanz: Universitätsverlag 1974
Aschoff, J., in: Proc. 17th Int. Orn. Congr., 1980 (in press)
Davis, D.E., Finnie, E.P.: J. Mammalogy 56, 199 (1975)
Aschoff, J., in: Environmental Endocrinology, p. 172 (I. Assenmacher, D. Farner, eds.). Berlin: Springer 1978
Gwinner, E.: Naturwissenschaften 64, 44 (1977)
Gwinner, E.: Vogelwarte 29, 16 (1977)
Goss, R.J.: J. Exp. Zool. 170, 311 (1969)
Berthold, P.: Vogelwarte 30, 7 (1979)
Canguilhem, B., Schieber, J.P., Koch, A.: Arch. Sci. Physiol. 27, 67 (1973)
Petter-Rousseaux, A.: Ann. Biol. Anim. Biochem. Biophys. 12, 367 (1972)
Rougeot, J.: ibid. 1, 385 (1961)
Rougeot, J., in: Actualités Dermapharmacologie, Vol. 4, p. 155 (H. Thiess, J. Cotte, eds.). Lyon: Centre Européen de Dermapharmacologie 1962
Enright, J.T., in: Circadian Clocks, p. 122. Amsterdam: North-Holland 1965
Aschoff, J., Pohl, H.: Naturwissenschaften 65, 80 (1978)
Wever, R.: Umschau 66, 462 (1966)
Blake, G.M.: Nature 188, 168 (1960)
Mrosovsky, N.: J. Comp. Physiol. 136, 349 (1980)
Pengelley, E.T., Asmundson, S.J.: Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 32, 155 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dr. Hans Löhrl zum siebzigsten Geburtstag gewidmet.
Mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (SPP „Mechanismen biologischer Uhren”).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gwinner, E. Circannuale Rhythmen bei Tieren und ihre photoperiodische Synchronisation. Naturwissenschaften 68, 542–551 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401662
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00401662