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Centre for Biomedical and Physiological Applications of the Stress Adaptive Response 2002 Understanding body clocks in threatened species |
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Dr Gemma O'Brien The University of New England is spearheading
research into saving Australia's amazing flying foxes. Conservation of a species involves ensuring nature is able to keep births and deaths in balance. The latest piece of the jig-saw puzzle of births comes from Karen-Ann Gray and Dr Gemma O'Brien. They have been studying hormones and breeding seasons in Australia's greyheaded flying foxes. |
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Flying foxes, with their large bright eyes and long rasping tongues, are thought to be responsible for the genetic vigour of old growth forests on Australia's east coast. |
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Many people have heard of LH, or
luteinizing hormone. This is the hormone released in a surge in females to
cause ovulation - release of an egg to start a new baby human or, in this
case, a new baby flying fox. The work in physiology at UNE has not yet allowed scientists to pinpoint the exact time that female flying foxes release their egg in autumn each year. But it HAS brought to light a picture of a "window of opportunity" when breeding CAN happen. |
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It seems that no matter how good the food is, going from summer into autumn, it is unlikely that the females could become fertile any earlier than nature already intends - because they wont have the necessary LH hormone. |
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And if they miss out on getting pregnant
then in autumn, they might be able to try again in early winter, but after that
they have missed out because their body stops producing LH. To the scientists at UNE it looks like greyheaded flying foxes have a built-in body clock. And this body clock decrees that they cannot adapt their reproduction if food resources are not available at the times that they have evolved to expect. |
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So conservation will depend on good food being available all year round, and letting nature take its course with breeding. |
See also, G.M. O'Brien's 
Recent Publications
Click to go to Gemma's Other Links
Enquiries to gobrien@une.edu.au
Document last edited: 17 Mar 2004
This
page has been accessed times since 20 August 1998
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Page created by: Louise Streeting e-mail: lstreeti@une.edu.au Revised: May 2006 © University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 All rights reserved. |
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School of Biological, Biomedical and Molecular SciencesUniversity of New EnglandArmidale NSW 2351 ph: (02) 6773 2193 fax: (02) 6773 3268 e-mail: bbms@une.edu.au |
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