Effects of stimulation on the duration of lung ventilation in quail fetuses

✍ Scribed by Vince, Margaret A. ;Cheng, R. C. H.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 855 KB
• Volume: 175
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401750407

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Fetuses of the bobwhite and Japanese quail were incubated for the last three days before hatching under four different conditions of stimulation: in isolation, in contact with two eggs given 24 hours more incubation, in contact with two eggs given the same amount of incubation, and in contact with two eggs given 24 hours less incubation. At the same time recordings were made of sounds produced by the experimental egg, and its respiratory movements. Measurements were then made for each experimental egg of (1) the time between the beginning of lung ventilation and the beginning of regular loud clicking, (2) the time between the beginning of regular loud clicking and hatching, and (3) the time between the beginning of lung ventilation and hatching. The two species differed slightly in that contact with other eggs reduced the duration of lung ventilation in the Japanese quail although not in the bobwhite quail; however, in both species lung ventilation varied in length according to the developmental age of the stimulating eggs. The most marked effects were obtained during the silent period of breathing before the eggs began to click. Thus the fetuses of both species apparently need to click for a definite period of time before hatching.