During Pacific Ocean foraging journeys that can last seven months these bulky marine mammals sleep just two hours a day – cobbled together from naps of about 10 minutes each as they dive deep to avoid predators, say researchers.
WASHINGTON DC, USA – Sleep is a precious commodity for people and across the animal kingdom, indispensable even as its biological purpose remains somewhat mysterious. We spend about a third of our lives asleep. But some animals get a lot less slumber – with certain species like the northern elephant seal taking sleeplessness to an extreme.
The seals’ sleep duration during these ocean voyages differed significantly from the 10 hours a day they spend sleeping on the beach during breeding season at places like California’s Año Nuevo beach. “Then, at the deepest point of their sleeping dive – up to 377 meters deep – they wake up and swim back to the surface,” said Jessie Kendall-Bar, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and lead author of the study published this week in the journalThe species is the world’s second-largest seal, topped only by the southern elephant seal. Male northern elephant seals may reach 13 feet long and weigh up to 4,500 pounds .
“It is remarkable that a wild animal will fall into deep, paralytic REM sleep when there are predators on the hunt. The seals solve this problem by going into deep sleep in the deep parts of the oceans where predators do not typically hunt them,” said study co-author Terrie Williams, director of the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Comparative Neurophysiology Lab.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ocean warming impact on PH: To know the future, look at the pastAs world ocean surface temperature hit a new record-high, scientists warned it could lead to higher risks of extreme weather. In the Philippines, past disasters show early signs of ocean warming’s devastating impact. INQFocus | CEBacligINQ
Read more »
Frank Ocean scraps second Coachella set due to leg injuryLOS ANGELES: R&B singer Frank Ocean has withdrawn from his scheduled headline slot at the second weekend of the Coachella music festival due to a leg injury, his publicist said Wednesday.
Read more »
Cebu Pacific revives hub in Clark with 15 routesCebu Pacific revived its hub at the Clark International Airport, expecting an average of 10,000 seats monthly from flights to and from 15 domestic and international destinations. | ttorejasINQ /PDI
Read more »
At least 78 killed in Yemen crowd surge during packed Ramadan charity eventDozens of people were killed in a crowd surge in Yemen's capital on Wednesday as needy residents flocked to receive charity handouts from local merchants during the holy month of Ramadan, officials have confirmed.
Read more »
People lost faith in childhood vaccines during COVID pandemic, UNICEF saysIn total, 67 million children missed out on one or more potentially lifesaving vaccines during the pandemic, and efforts to catch up have so far stalled despite increasing outbreaks.
Read more »
Bangladesh suffers widespread power outages during relentless heatThe weather office has warned that there is no end in sight for the heatwave as the country prepares for the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan.
Read more »