Thread initiated @: http://www.bgol.us/board/showthread.php?t=341001&page=67
Continued ...
Most times adaptation to vulnerability during sleep for non-nocturnal animals is usually behavioral, like sleeping in areas where they're inaccessible to their predators (birds, tree dwelling and burrowing animals) and they sleep at times that maximize their safety, given their physical capacities and habitats.
An argument against sleep simply being a passive consequence of disengaging and animal from it's environment in order to "re-boot", is that sleep is actually a "drive".
Animals actually change their behaviors in order to obtain sleep.
And you could say that evolutionary evidence of this is that most nocturnal animals tend to be relatively on the lower end of the food chain and are usually out at night hunting for lower animals that are fucked either way (insects, amphibians etc). With exception of nocturnal predators like big cats and snakes that are preying on other nocturnal animals anyways.
The fact that they need to "rest" in order to replenish depleted energy still does not address the question as to why they need to "sleep".
Any references or data to support your claim that "most" animals are never fully unconscious? I'm really curious.
Because it's pretty routine and easy to confirm that an animal is sleeping (fully unconscious state with the brain disengaging from the external environment) by monitoring their brain activity.
Shit, we used to have a lazy ass cat when I was growing up that you could push off the couch and it would still be sleeping.
Oh, and let's not forget the apparent redundancy of circadian-rhythm regulatory hormones (like Melatonin) that's present in totally blind animals?
Shouldn't all this suggest that there's possibly a deeper function of sleep in animals?
Continued ...
you're right there are a whole group of animals including people who prey on their victims while they sleep. I guess you can say the evolution of those particular species who get preyed apon has allowed them to adapt and defend themselves during their vulnerable periods of sleep.
Your original question is still unanswered though... Why sleep
Most times adaptation to vulnerability during sleep for non-nocturnal animals is usually behavioral, like sleeping in areas where they're inaccessible to their predators (birds, tree dwelling and burrowing animals) and they sleep at times that maximize their safety, given their physical capacities and habitats.
An argument against sleep simply being a passive consequence of disengaging and animal from it's environment in order to "re-boot", is that sleep is actually a "drive".
Animals actually change their behaviors in order to obtain sleep.
And you could say that evolutionary evidence of this is that most nocturnal animals tend to be relatively on the lower end of the food chain and are usually out at night hunting for lower animals that are fucked either way (insects, amphibians etc). With exception of nocturnal predators like big cats and snakes that are preying on other nocturnal animals anyways.
The fact that they need to "rest" in order to replenish depleted energy still does not address the question as to why they need to "sleep".
Any references or data to support your claim that "most" animals are never fully unconscious? I'm really curious.
Because it's pretty routine and easy to confirm that an animal is sleeping (fully unconscious state with the brain disengaging from the external environment) by monitoring their brain activity.
Shit, we used to have a lazy ass cat when I was growing up that you could push off the couch and it would still be sleeping.
Oh, and let's not forget the apparent redundancy of circadian-rhythm regulatory hormones (like Melatonin) that's present in totally blind animals?
Shouldn't all this suggest that there's possibly a deeper function of sleep in animals?
