  The Bloom-Gilman local duality of the inelastic structure function of the
proton, the deuteron and light complex nuclei is investigated using available
experimental data in the squared four-momentum transfer range from 0.3 to 5
(GeV/c)**2. The results of our analysis suggest that the onset of the
Bloom-Gilman local duality is anticipated in complex nuclei with respect to the
case of the protonand the deuteron. A possible interpretation of this result in
terms of a rescaling effect is discussed with particular emphasis to the
possibility of reproducing the damping of the nucleon-resonance transitions
observed in recent electroproduction data off nuclei.
