Sleep (Evolutionary theory)

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  • Created by: Sophie
  • Created on: 28-05-15 10:49
What does Meddis believe is the function of sleep?
Protection from harm
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What is one issue with this theory?
only applies to animals that have a nest/burrow/safe place to sleep
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What did Alison + Chicchetti find?
Species most at risk (grazing animals) got very little sleep, while those least at risk (big cats) slept for most of the day
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What did Meddis add to his original theory?
Suggested that an animals metabolic rate affects the amount of sleep they get.
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How does the shrew provide support for this theory?
The shrew has a very high metabolic rate, therefore it has to spend a lot of time eating so it has less time to sleep.
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Which animal risks its life to get sleep and what does this suggest?
The bottlenose dolphin. Suggests sleep has an essential physiological function.
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Which sleep deprivation studies support this?
Jouvet's cat and Rechtschaffen's rats - in both cases animals died when they were deprived of sleep.
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What does Webb believe is the function of sleep?
To conserve energy at a time when we could not normally be active because of darkness (hibernation theory)
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What evidence is there to support this?
Metabolism does slow during sleep and calories are saved (but not many)
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What is the main issue with the way that research in this area is carried out?
Carried out on animals - can't generalise to humans. Carried out on tiny samples of animals - doesn't account for variation within species
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is one issue with this theory?

Back

only applies to animals that have a nest/burrow/safe place to sleep

Card 3

Front

What did Alison + Chicchetti find?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did Meddis add to his original theory?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

How does the shrew provide support for this theory?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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