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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1970 Jul;66(3):758–764. doi: 10.1073/pnas.66.3.758

Circadian Systems, VI. Photoperiodic Time Measurement in Pectinophora gossypiella*

Colin S Pittendrigh 1,, John H Eichhorn 1,, Dorothea H Minis 1, Victor G Bruce 1
PMCID: PMC283115  PMID: 5269238

Abstract

Diapause (100% incidence) occurs in the moth Pectinophora gossypiella when it is exposed to 24-hour light/dark cycles involving 12 hours of red light (600 nm); only 2% occurs when the photoperiod is extended to 14 hours, again with 600-nm light. This wavelength fails to synchronize all the known circadian oscillations of the moth. These observations appear, therefore, to constitute positive evidence that the photoperiodic time measurement is not mediated by a circadian oscillation. However, it remains possible, even plausible, that the photoperiodic clock is a separate circadian oscillator coupled to light by a red-absorbing pigment. That possibility is testable. The nature of the clock—oscillator or not—remains open.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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