Lovegrove B G, Papenfus M E
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Scottsville, South Africa.
Physiol Behav. 1995 Oct;58(4):679-85. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(95)00106-s.
Circadian activity patterns were measured in the solitary, subterranean Cape molerat, Georychus capensis, under fixed 12:12 LD, constant dark DD, and constant light LL photoperiods for 250 consecutive days using passive infra-red activity sensors. The molerats displayed significant nocturnal activity rhythms under 12:12 LD and free-running rhythms (23.5 h < tau > 25.8 h) under constant conditions. In one individual evidence was found of splitting of the activity rhythm under constant dark; the split rhythms free-ran with short- and long-periods of 23.6 h and 24.7 h, respectively. These data show that, despite degenerate retinae, G. capensis (i) are capable of perceiving light at the level of the circadian pacemaker; (ii) can entrain endogenous activity oscillators to fixed photoperiods; and (iii) display evidence of a free-running activity oscillator.
使用被动红外活动传感器，在固定的12:12光照/黑暗（LD）、持续黑暗（DD）和持续光照（LL）光周期条件下，对独居的地下开普鼹形鼠（Georychus capensis）连续250天测量其昼夜活动模式。在12:12 LD条件下，鼹形鼠表现出显著的夜间活动节律，在持续条件下表现出自由运行节律（τ为23.5小时至25.8小时）。在一只个体中发现了在持续黑暗条件下活动节律分裂的证据；分裂后的节律分别以23.6小时和24.7小时的短周期和长周期自由运行。这些数据表明，尽管视网膜退化，开普鼹形鼠（i）能够在昼夜节律起搏器水平感知光线；（ii）可以将内源性活动振荡器与固定光周期同步；（iii）表现出自由运行活动振荡器的证据。
