Seasonal timing: how does a hibernator know when to stop hibernating?

Roelof A. Hut (1) , Hugues Dardente (2) , Sjaak J. Riede (3)

1 Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, Chronobiology Unit
2 PRC - Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements [Nouzilly]
3 Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, Chronobiology Unit

Deep hibernators that spend winter in a hypothermic coma below ground can still emerge and reproduce in spring at the right moment. A recent study shows that specific cells of the pituitary may harbor the internal calendar responsible for this.

Domaines: Autre [q-bio.OT]

Roelof A. Hut, Hugues Dardente, Sjaak J. Riede. Seasonal timing: how does a hibernator know when to stop hibernating?. Current Biology - CB, 2014, 24 (13), pp.R602-R605. ⟨10.1016/j.cub.2014.05.061⟩. ⟨hal-01129849⟩