Pratt B L, Goldman B D
Physiol Behav. 1986 Jan;36(1):91-5. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(86)90079-x.
The free running period (tau) of male Syrian hamsters, when measured as the circadian rhythm of emergence from simulated burrows, was compared to tau when locomotor activity was measured via running wheels. In constant darkness, the inter-individual variability of the tau s was less among burrow housed hamsters than for running wheel housed hamsters. Hence, access to activity wheels eventually led to more disparate activity onset times among the running wheel animals, as compared to the relative population synchrony observed when animals were housed in simulated burrows. When tau s were contrasted between hamsters housed in standard cages with or without running wheels, it appeared that tau values of hamsters housed in simulated burrows were more similar to those of hamsters housed in standard cages without wheels. The data suggests that the tau of the hamster circadian system may be subject to subtle environmental influences.
以从模拟洞穴中出现的昼夜节律来衡量，将雄性叙利亚仓鼠的自由运转周期（τ）与通过跑轮测量运动活动时的τ进行了比较。在持续黑暗中，洞穴饲养的仓鼠之间τ的个体间变异性小于跑轮饲养的仓鼠。因此，与饲养在模拟洞穴中的动物相对的群体同步性相比，使用活动跑轮最终导致跑轮饲养的动物之间的活动开始时间差异更大。当对比饲养在有或没有跑轮的标准笼子里的仓鼠的τ时，似乎饲养在模拟洞穴中的仓鼠的τ值与饲养在没有跑轮的标准笼子里的仓鼠的τ值更相似。数据表明，仓鼠昼夜节律系统的τ可能受到微妙的环境影响。
