The early bird catches the worm? Daily activity and biological clocks in birds
Researcher(s): Dr. Barbara Helm, Paul Jerem; Marina Lehmann (Universitat Konstanz and International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology, Germany)
Department: Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, MVLS
Institution: University of Glasgow
Brief Description:
Most if not all living organisms use biological rhythms to prepare for the daily and annual changes in the environment. Circadian clocks regulate various physiological processes, including body temperature and hormone levels, and they also influence the times when animals are active or at rest. Clocks in different individuals tick at slightly different speeds, but the consequences of differences in
“chronotype” are poorly understood. We use SCENE’s surrounding woodlands to study benefits and costs of being an early or late chronotype, and its possible physiological correlates, in Great tits. Field-based studies using radio-telemetry are complemented by experimental approaches and by in-vitro studies in Glasgow and in cooperating laboratories in Germany and Switzerland. The most recent study is Paul Jerem’s newly started project 'Does the early subordinate catch the worm?' in which he will be examining possible relationships between circadian rhythm and social dominance in Great tits.
Funding Source(s):
- Elite Grant, Baden-Württemberg-Stiftung, Germany: Circadian biology: from field to molecular rhythms in wild birds
- BBSRC PhD studentship to Paul Jerem: Chronotype as a constraint in response to novel environmental conditions
- International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology support to Marina Lehmann: Timing in the wild and in vitro.
Project Status: Ongoing project
Start Date: 01/05/2012
End Date: open-ended
Dr Barbara Helm's Research Profile Page
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