Abstract
Abstract South American subterranean rodents are mainly described as solitary and mutual synchronization was never observed among individuals maintained together in laboratory. We report that a single birth event was capable of disrupting the robust nocturnal activity rhythm of singly housed tuco-tucos from north-west Argentina. “Around-the-clock activity” was displayed by 8 out of 13 animals whose cages were closer to the newborn pups. However, experimental exposure to a pup vocalization did not produce a similar effect on the rhythms of adult animals. Our results indicate an effect of social interaction in the expression of biological rhythms even in solitary animals.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 280-284 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Sleep Science |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2016 |
Keywords
- Ctenomyidae
- Tuco-tuco
- Social synchronization
- Around-the-clock activity
- Circadian rhythm
- international