Rhythm chronotypes in a diurnal rodent, Octodon degus

Abstract

Interindividual variations in entrained human circadian rhythms and their relationship to differences in ease of adjustment to phase shifts have been well described. Humans classified as morning type (MT) display phase-advanced temperature minimum, onset of daily activity, and onset of sleep, whereas evening type (ET) individuals demonstrate the opposite pattern with a later phase angle of entrainment for these measures. We examined 15 variables of circadian activity and temperature for diurnal Octodon degus (n = 49; 28 male, 21 female), and noted similar chronotype variations as described for humans. Individuals with extreme MT and ET chronotypes were identified as those who differed from the entire population mean by one or more standard deviations. Compared with MTs (n = 5) and intermediate chronotypes (ITs, n = 34), ETs (n = 10) displayed a significant delay in the phase of temperature minimum, rise in temperature above the daily mean, and decline in activity and temperature below the daily mean, and had longer elevated activity and temperature durations and higher levels of mean daily activity and activity amplitude. MTs also displayed a significant phase advance in the morning temperature rise compared with ITs and ETs. This is the first description of variation in entrained circadian rhythms similar to that described for humans in both an outbred animal population and a diurnal rodent.