Ball 9514525 Numerous animals integrate various cues from the environment to predict the arrival of improving conditions associated with spring. Arguably the most critical cue is changing daylength, which is responsible for enhancing numerous behaviors including communicative behaviors. Increasing daylength also fosters marked chemical changes in the brain associated with the behavioral changes. In these receptive animals, secondary features may potentiate the positive aspects of increasing daylength. However, increasing daylength after a period of time precipitates the development of refractoriness which terminates behavioral enhancement and brain neurochemical changes. Dr. Gregory Ball is assessing the interplay between daylength and secondary characteristics in fostering seasonal behavioral changes. The studies include an identification of the neuronal circuitry responsible for mediation of the behavioral changes in the animals, as well as a demonstration of the specific secondary cues to which the animals respond. Studies to this point have not identified specific features of the environment other than daylength as enhancors of behavioral activity. These studies will be useful to understanding the survival of species in their nature habitats and the environmental cues to which they are most responsive.
