Cathemerality, sometimes called "metaturnality", is an organismal activity pattern of irregular intervals during the day or night in which food is acquired, socializing with other organisms occurs, and any other activities necessary for livelihood are undertaken.[1] This activity differs from the generally monophasic pattern (sleeping once per day) of nocturnal and diurnal species as it is polyphasic (sleeping 4-6 times per day) and is approximately evenly distributed throughout the 24-hour cycle.[2]
Many animals do not fit the traditional definitions of being strictly nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular, often driven by factors that include the availability of food, predation pressure, and variable ambient temperature.[3] Although cathemerality is not as widely observed in individual species as diurnality or nocturnality, this activity pattern is seen across the mammal taxa, such as in lions, coyotes, and lemurs.[4]
Cathemeral behaviour can also vary on a seasonal basis over an annual period by exhibiting periods of predominantly nocturnal behaviour and exhibiting periods of predominantly diurnal behaviour. For example, seasonal cathemerality has been described for the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz) as activity that shifts from being predominantly diurnal to being predominantly nocturnal over a yearly cycle, but the common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) have been observed as seasonally shifting from diurnal activity to cathemerality.[5]
As research on cathemerality continues, many factors that have been identified as influencing whether or why an animal behaves cathemerally. Such factors include resource variation, food quality, photoperiodism, nocturnal luminosity, temperature, predator avoidance, and energetic constraints.[6][7][8]
- ^ Tattersall, Ian (2006). "The Concept of Cathemerality: History and Definition". Folia Primatologica. 77 (1–2): 7–14. doi:10.1159/000089692. ISSN 0015-5713. PMID 16415574. S2CID 35006459.
- ^ Curtis, D.J.; Rasmussen, M.A. (2006). "The Evolution of Cathemerality in Primates and Other Mammals: A Comparative and Chronoecological Approach". Folia Primatologica. 77 (1–2): 178–193. doi:10.1159/000089703. ISSN 0015-5713. PMID 16415585. S2CID 10145159.
- ^ JACOBS, GERALD H. (2008–2009). "Primate color vision: A comparative perspective". Visual Neuroscience. 25 (5–6): 619–633. doi:10.1017/s0952523808080760. ISSN 0952-5238. PMID 18983718. S2CID 15541369.
- ^ Roth, Kiley (2019). "Animals That Don't Have a Pattern are Cathemeral". Dickinson County Conservation Board. Archived from the original on 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
- ^ Colquhoun, Ian C. (2007), "Anti-Predator Strategies of Cathemeral Primates: Dealing with Predators of the Day and the Night", Primate Anti-Predator Strategies, Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 146–172, doi:10.1007/978-0-387-34810-0_7, ISBN 978-0-387-34807-0, retrieved 2021-10-23
- ^ Tarnaud, Laurent (2006). "Cathemerality in the Mayotte Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvus): Seasonality and Food Quality". Folia Primatologica. 77 (1–2): 166–177. doi:10.1159/000089702. ISSN 0015-5713. PMID 16415584. S2CID 25608693.
- ^ Donati, Giuseppe; Borgognini-Tarli, Silvana M. (2006). "Influence of Abiotic Factors on Cathemeral Activity: The Case of Eulemur fulvus collaris in the Littoral Forest of Madagascar". Folia Primatologica. 77 (1–2): 104–122. doi:10.1159/000089698. ISSN 0015-5713. PMID 16415580. S2CID 45390046.
- ^ LaFleur, Marni; Sauther, Michelle; Cuozzo, Frank; Yamashita, Nayuta; Jacky Youssouf, Ibrahim Antho; Bender, Richard (2013-10-29). "Cathemerality in wild ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) in the spiny forest of Tsimanampetsotsa National Park: camera trap data and preliminary behavioral observations". Primates. 55 (2): 207–217. doi:10.1007/s10329-013-0391-1. ISSN 0032-8332. PMID 24165866. S2CID 14976330.