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Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Cathemerality: a key temporal niche.

Daniel T C Cox¹, Kevin J Gaston¹

¹Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

|October 15, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cathemerality, or activity during both day and night, is a widespread behavior in many animal species. This temporal niche partitioning is crucial for understanding species adaptation and ecosystem function.

Keywords:

activity patterns diel niche diurnal nighttime ecology nocturnal polyphasic activity time partitioning ultradian activity

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Ecology
Chronobiology
Zoology

Background:

Species activity patterns were traditionally categorized as strictly diurnal (daytime) or nocturnal (nighttime).
The concept of cathemerality, encompassing activity during both day and night, was first described in 1987.
Initially considered rare, cathemerality is now recognized across diverse taxa, including arthropods, fish, birds, and mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize current understanding of cathemeral behavior.
To advocate for the routine inclusion of cathemerality in temporal niche classifications.
To highlight the significance of cathemerality in the context of new research technologies and environmental changes.

Main Methods:

Literature synthesis and review of existing research on animal activity patterns.
Analysis of the diversity and characteristics of cathemeral behaviors.
Examination of the ecological and evolutionary implications of cathemerality.

Main Results:

Cathemerality is a widespread temporal niche partitioning strategy, not a rare exception.
Cathemerality encompasses a spectrum from obligate to facultative behaviors with distinct traits.
Day and night activity plays a significant role in temporal niche partitioning and ecosystem functioning.

Conclusions:

Cathemerality should be integrated into standard classifications of species' temporal niches alongside diurnal and nocturnal strategies.
Understanding cathemerality is vital for comprehending species' adaptations to environmental changes, including human-mediated pressures.
Further research into cathemeral behavior is essential for advancing ecological and evolutionary studies.