Nesting chinstrap penguins accrue large quantities of sleep through seconds-long microsleeps.
Saved in:
| Title: | Nesting chinstrap penguins accrue large quantities of sleep through seconds-long microsleeps. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Libourel, P.-A., Lee, W. Y., Achin, I., Chung, H., Kim, J., Massot, B., Rattenborg, N. C. |
| Source: | Science (pre-March 2025). 12/1/2023, Vol. 382 Issue 6674, p1026-1031. 6p. 4 Diagrams. |
| Subjects: | Sleep duration, Wakefulness, Slow wave sleep, Penguins, Sleep |
| Geographic Terms: | Antarctica |
| Abstract: | Microsleeps, the seconds-long interruptions of wakefulness by eye closure and sleep-related brain activity, are dangerous when driving and might be too short to provide the restorative functions of sleep. If microsleeps do fulfill sleep functions, then animals faced with a continuous need for vigilance might resort to this sleep strategy. We investigated electroencephalographically defined sleep in wild chinstrap penguins, at sea and while nesting in Antarctica, constantly exposed to an egg predator and aggression from other penguins. The penguins nodded off >10,000 times per day, engaging in bouts of bihemispheric and unihemispheric slow-wave sleep lasting on average only 4 seconds, but resulting in the accumulation of >11 hours of sleep for each hemisphere. The investment in microsleeps by successfully breeding penguins suggests that the benefits of sleep can accrue incrementally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science (pre-March 2025) is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
Be the first to leave a comment!
