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purplecthulhu at 03:59pm on 07/09/2003
purplecthulhu at 03:59pm on 07/09/2003I've been discussing body clocks with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
purpletigron. Its well established that humans have an average natural day length of about 25 hours, which is odd since days around here are 24 hours long. This can be used to argue that we're all Martians, since Mars' day is about 25 hours, but there must be some other explaination. I was speculating that this might be due to the evolutionary effect of access to fire and other forms of artificial light for the last 50000 years or so. A prediciton of this would be that birds and animals without 'benefit' of artificial light would have a natural body clock with a day length closer to 24 hours.
So the challenge for you biologists out there... Is there any information about the body clocks of species other than homo sapiens? Cangreenjavatroll or her purple colleague help? Anyone else?
purpletigron. Its well established that humans have an average natural day length of about 25 hours, which is odd since days around here are 24 hours long. This can be used to argue that we're all Martians, since Mars' day is about 25 hours, but there must be some other explaination. I was speculating that this might be due to the evolutionary effect of access to fire and other forms of artificial light for the last 50000 years or so. A prediciton of this would be that birds and animals without 'benefit' of artificial light would have a natural body clock with a day length closer to 24 hours.So the challenge for you biologists out there... Is there any information about the body clocks of species other than homo sapiens? Can
greenjavatroll or her purple colleague help? Anyone else?
contemplative
Circadian rythmn
There is an explanation of the genetic basis here:
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2000/jul/research1_000710.html
(2000 so a bit old, registration is necessary).
I know that somebody here is involved in body clock research but I can't remember who (if I do, I'll post supplemental information).
According to this paper blind, subterranean mammals still have a body clock:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=129335
Re: Circadian rythmn
Studies circadian rythmn in Puppytown's favorite creature, the lemur, although, sadly, not the pocket lemur :-)
(no subject)