 17th
International Conference of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa Marrakesh-Morocco April, 17-20, 2025 |
IBRO-sponsored
Symposium 10
Symposium 10
Title: The neurobiology and neurochemistry of animals'
adaptations to harsh African biotopes
Organizer: Khalid EL ALLALI
Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II BP 6202 RABAT-INSTITUTS 10101 Rabat, Morocco
email: khalid_elallali@yahoo.fr
Abstract:
| Organisms are subject to the
effects of changes in their surrounding environment. The majority of
vertebrates are equipped with the capacity to anticipate circadian and
seasonal changes, which enables them to adapt their biological
functions involving time-keeping mechanisms. In mammals, circadian
rhythms are driven by a central clock located in the suprachiasmatic
nucleus, which modulates the peripheral oscillators, including those in
muscle and liver tissue. Melatonin is the primary output of the central
clock, serving to synchronize the various peripheral functions. Melatonin is also understood to convey photoperiodic data to the hypothalamus, thereby enabling seasonal regulation of physiological processes, including reproduction. The primary environmental cue influencing circadian and seasonal rhythms in mammals is photoperiod. However, in African ecosystems, other environmental cues, including ambient temperature, social interactions, and predation, appear to be sufficiently potent to drive the rhythms of native animals. The symposium will concentrate on the neurochemistry and neurobiological adaptations of native species inhabiting African biotopes. Organizing this symposium aims to convene a select group of experts in the field to engage in a collaborative exchange of ideas, insights, and findings with the present scientists at the conference. The symposium will address aspects concerning the peculiarities of structural, behavioral, and physiological mechanisms in the circadian and seasonal rhythms that have evolved in species living under specific African ecological niches, including those found in deserts and savannas. |
Speakers
| Number |
Speaker |
e-mail |
Title
of the communication |
| SP10_1 |
Nouria Lakhdar-Ghazal | nlakhdarghazal@gmail.com |
Neurochemical Mechanisms
of the Jerboa
(Jaculus orientalis) to its harsh
biotope: focus on the suprachiasmatic nucleus |
| SP10_2 |
Nigel Bennett |
ncbennett@zoology.up.ac.za | Thermoregulation
Meets Chronobiology: How Temperature, Not Light, Governs Circadian
Rhythms in Subterranean Mole-Rats |
| SP10_3 |
Jérémy TERRIEN |
jeremy.terrien@mnhn.fr |
Life under the tropics : sex-specific and photoperiod-dependent regulation of metabolism in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) |
| SP10_4 |
Younes
BENIAICH |
y.beniaich@iav.ac.ma |
Effects of the Onset of Rumination
on Sleep/Wake Architecture in Camel and Sheep Newborns |