cathemeral
Kathemeral describes a temporal activity pattern of animals in relation to the circadian rhythm of day and night hours. Cathemeral species are neither active during the day (diurnal) nor nocturnal (nocturnal), nor do they prefer the twilight hours. Rather, they show specific, clearly defined periods of activity in both day and night hours. The animals can be active at all times of the day and night. Activity rhythms known as cathemeral occur mainly in the mammalian order of primates . The expression, composed of the ancient Greek components hemera, Greek Ἡμέρα, an expression for day, and the prefix kata- κατά in the meaning of next, was introduced in 1987 by the primatologist Ian Tattersall . A noun for this is not common in German (in contrast to this in English also "cathemerality").
Occur
Tatersall first observed in the lemur species Brown Maki ( Eulemur fulvus ) that the animals showed periods of activity of different lengths, which were often in the twilight hours, but could also be in the middle of the day or night. During a 48-hour period of uninterrupted observation in the field, the same animals were active partly at noon and partly at midnight. This pattern of activity has mostly escaped previous observers because these observations are extremely difficult to make. Later comparable activity patterns were found in other primate species, including in addition to numerous species of Great Makis ( Eulemur ) in Katta ( Lemur catta ) at bamboo lemur ( Hapalemur ) and big bamboo lemur ( Prolemur simus ), also in the New World monkeys belonging owl monkeys ( Aotus ). Cathemeral behavior is considered typical of primates. The theory was even put forward that in this group it was the original pattern of activity from which the others evolved.
Avoidance of predators, reduction of competition , advantages in temperature control (thermoregulation) and feed conversion were made probable as reasons for cathemeral behavior . The theory that metabolic reasons (the compulsion to supply hard-to-digest plant food as evenly as possible over the 24-hour cycle) were responsible, however, was questioned.
In mammals outside the primates, cathemeral behavior is rarely described, but it may occur more often and has been ignored or overlooked so far. Most researchers assume, however, that it is specific to primates.
Individual evidence
- ^ Ian Tattersall (1987): Cathemeral Activity in Primates: A Definition. Folia Primatologica 49: 200-202. doi: 10.1159 / 000156323 .
- ^ Ian Tattersall (2006): The Concept of Cathemerality: History and Definition. Folia Primatologica 77: 7-14 doi: 10.1159 / 000089692 .
- ↑ Luca Santini, Danny Rojas, Giuseppe Donati (2015): Evolving through day and night: origin and diversification of activity pattern in modern primates. Behavioral Ecology 26 (3): 789-796. doi: 10.1093 / beheco / arv012
- ^ Giuseppe Donati & Silvana M. Borgognini-Tarli (2006): From darkness to daylight: cathemeral activity in primates. Journal of Anthropological Sciences 84: 1-11.
- ↑ Jörg U. Ganzhorn & Peter M. Kappeler (1993): Lemuren Madagascars. Tests on the evolution of primate communities. Science 80: 195-208.
- ^ CP Van Schaik & M. Griffiths (1996): Activity periods of Indonesian rain forest mammals. Biotropica 28: 105-112.