The rhythms of activity in all biological organisms, both plants and
animals, are closely linked to the gravitational tides created by the
orbital mechanics of the sun-Earth-moon system. This truth has been somewhat
neglected by scientific research but is foregrounded in a study by Cristiano
de Mello Gallep at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São
Paulo, Brazil, and Daniel Robert at the University of Bristol in the United
Kingdom. An article on the study is published in the Journal of Experimental
Botany.
"All matter on Earth, both live and inert, experiences the effects of the
gravitational forces of the sun and moon expressed in the form of tides. The
periodic oscillations exhibit two daily cycles and are modulated monthly and
annually by the motions of these two celestial bodies. All organisms on the
planet have evolved in this context. What we sought to show in the article
is that gravitational tides are a perceptible and potent force that has
always shaped the rhythmic activities of these organisms," Gallep told.
The study is both an extensive review of the literature and a meta-analysis
of the data from three previously published cases in which gravitational
causality was not fully explored: The swimming activity of isopods, small
shell-less crustaceans whose appearance on Earth dates from at least 300
million years ago; reproductive effort in coral; and growth modulation in
sunflower seedlings inferred from autoluminescence. In the latter case, the
researchers analyzed results of their own investigations as well as data
from the literature.
"The data shows that in the absence of other rhythmic influences such as
lighting or temperature, local gravitational tides are sufficient to
organize the cyclical behavior of these organisms. This evidence questions
the validity of so-called free-run experiments, in which several
environmental factors are controlled but gravitational oscillations are not
taken into consideration. These oscillations continue to exist, and may
modulate the behavior of living organisms," Gallep said.
Many of the rhythmic patterns displayed by organisms are well-known and have
been widely studied. They include circadian rhythms, which are linked to the
day-night or light-dark cycle. However, some rhythmic cycles are maintained
even when the factor light is isolated under laboratory conditions, and the
contributions of other environmental factors have been investigated and
demonstrated, although their effects are comparatively weak in many cases.
The study in question considered, among others, the persistence of tidal
cycles in the behavioral patterns of coastal organisms such as crustaceans,
when they are removed from their natural habitats.
"These animals modulate their behavior in tune with the ebb and flow of the
tides, in a cycle of approximately 12.4 hours that derives from lunisolar
dynamics, even when they're moved to a laboratory with stable and controlled
aquatic conditions," Gallep said. "The pattern persists for several days,
matching lunisolar tidal timing at the site where the organisms were
collected in nature."
Although the combined gravitational effect of the sun and moon corresponds
to only a millionth of Earth's gravity, it is sufficient not just to cause
large-scale tidal fluctuations in oceans, rivers and lakes, but also to move
the tectonic plates. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), operated by the
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), with a circumference of
27 kilometers, is vertically displaced by 1 millimeter by this gravitational
fluctuation, and its scientists must adjust their experimental calculations
accordingly.
Gallep first noted these periodicities in experiments involving the
autoluminescence associated with seed germination, conducted in Limeira (São
Paulo state). "I observed that changes in the signal collected appeared
every 12 or 24 hours, but differed in each germination test. When I looked
for support in the literature, I found studies pointing to a possible
correlation with gravitational tides. We explored this phenomenon in
subsequent tests on various types of seed, and also added results obtained
in the laboratory by collaborators in Prague, Czech Republic, in Leiden,
Netherlands, and in Hamamatsu, Japan," he said.
Gravitational cycles do not only affect the simplest organisms. Scientific
studies have found that humans kept in the dark tend to establish a cyclical
fluctuation lasting 24.4-24.8 hours, in harmony with the lunar cycle. This
tendency has also been noted in people who spend long periods in caves. It
conditions the alternation of sleep and wakefulness, meal times, and other
metabolic functions.
Reference:
Cristiano de Mello Gallep et al, Are cyclic plant and animal behaviours
driven by gravimetric mechanical forces?, Journal of Experimental Botany
(2021).
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab462
Excellent article!!!!
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