Showing papers by "Sophie Lumineau published in 2001"
TL;DR: It seems that, in European quail, a wild migratory species that always shows a natural biological annual rhythm, a melatonin signal could play a role in regulating reproduction.
52 citations
TL;DR: The results stress the adaptive value of this temporal organisation strategy under natural conditions, as the more pronounced the ultradian rhythms of a group, the greater the temporal and spatial cohesion of the chicks within the group.
Abstract: The function of ultradian rhythms is not yet clearly elucidated. In particular, short-term rhythms are expressed during early ontogeny, especially in broods of precocial birds. We investigated the relationship between the clarity of the ultradian rhythm of the activity/rest cycle of a group of young Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and the level of social synchronisation and spatial cohesion between the birds within that group. The subjects were descended from two lines selected for either very pronounced rhythmic or arrhythmic circadian activity. We found a positive relationship between the clarity of the ultradian rhythm of the activity/rest cycle when birds were young and the clarity of the circadian rhythm of feeding activity when birds were older, but still immature. The temporal organisation of the behaviour of the chicks from these two lines was observed in outdoor aviaries, when they were 4, 8, 12 and 15 days old. The mean ultradian period expressed by groups of 12 chicks was variable, with a mi...
22 citations