Cave fish insomniacs: Fishes that sleep less point to genetic basis for slumber, biologists find
Friday, April 8, 2011 - 10:32
in Biology & Nature
Cave life is known to favor the evolution of a variety of traits, including blindness and loss of eyes, loss of pigmentation, and changes in metabolism and feeding behavior. Now researchers have added sleeplessness to that list. Cave fish sleep significantly less than their surface counterparts, a finding by biologists that reveals the genes involved in sleep patterns and disorders. Their study may shed light on how genetic makeup contributes to sleep variation and disruption in humans.