How do dolphins sleep?

How do dolphins sleep? - Find out!

The ancestors of the cetaceans, like the dolphins, were mammals that evolved on land.55 million years ago, those animals returned to aquatic life, even as mammals, so they developed a special respiratory strategy.

All terrestrial mammals have an autonomous respiration, it is That is, it is not consciously controlled, unlike aquatic mammals, specifically the cetaceans, who have a conscious breath and decide when they need air.Even when they are resting on the surface, they only breathe about three times per minute, with very rapid breaths and deep, which fill the lungs up to 80 or 90 percent of their capacity.

Because of their need to swim and have to perform this type of breathing, it is not surprising that many people have wondered how they get dolphins sleep in water.In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we will discover how dolphins breathe when they sleep or what the dream of these animals is like.

What is sleep?

To understand how dolphins sleep before we must know what the sleep and wake process is like in mammals.The waking state and the sleeping state can be easily distinguished at the physiological and behavioral level.

The sleep process has two phases: slow or non-REM wave sleep and fast or REM wave sleep.While awake, the encephalographic activity is out of sync, shows low amplitude but high frequency waves, unlike of this activity during the sleep process that synchronizes, increases the amplitude of the waves and lowers their frequency.

During the non-REM phase, the muscular activity of the body gradually decreases, until it is canceled in the phase REM, so that muscular atony is produced from the neck down (there are no responses from the muscles of the body).Also, in the REM phase rapid eye movements occur and the body temperature drops.

Then How do dolphins sleep?

Unihemispheric dream

It was in the decade of the 70s, when a group of researchers from the USSR, discovered how dolphins sleep.Although there are two phases during sleep, dolphins only know the existence of one of them, the non-REM and is presented in a unihemispheric way, this means that, when one dolphin sleeps, it only "disconnects" one of the hemispheres of the brain, while the other continues its waking activity or, to put it another way.In this way, one hemisphere of the brain is out of sync (awake) and the other is synchronized (asleep).

Moving from one awake state to another asleep happens gradually, that is, while one hemisphere is falling asleep the other it wakes up, so we can find intermediate states in which a hemisphere is half asleep half alert.

The REM phase of sleep has not been identified in dolphins but in some cetaceans and, surprisingly, it is not shows unihemispherically, but throughout the brain.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open

The unihemispheric dream in dolphins seems to occur especially during the night, in the second half of the day and at dusk.The studies carried out show that both hemispheres rest the same number of hours.

Having this type of dream leads to a series of behaviors that allow the dolphin to continue interacting with the outside.For example, one of these behaviors is that dolphins sleep with one eye open.When the hemisphere The right brain enters the non-REM phase, the left eye closes and, when it is the left hemisphere that sleeps, the right eye closes.

While a dolphin sleeps, you can continue doing all the activities You want to rest on the surface of the water, breathe, swim or communicate.

Why do dolphins have no unihemispheric REM phase?

We might think that dolphins have no REM phase because during this phase the body goes into muscular atony and the dolphin could sink, but the scientists are not so clear.if there was a unihemispheric REM dream, only half of the body would enter atonia and there could be compensatory mechanisms to continue interacting with the environment.

The current hypothesis that more followers have is that a dolphin could not have a unihemispheric REM dream because he might not know how to differentiate between dreams and reality.Half of his brain would be analyzing information from the real world and the other half, information from the dream world.If this happened they would be easy prey for predators.

If you want to read more articles similar to How do dolphins sleep? , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

Goley, PD1999.Behavioral aspects of sleep in pacific white ‐ sided dolphins (lagenorhynchus obliquidens).Marine mammal science, 15 (4): 1054-1064.
Howard, RS, Finneran, JJ,&Ridgway, SH2006.Bispectral Index Monitoring of Unihemispheric Effects in Dolphin s.Technology, Computing, and Simulation, 103 (3): 626-632.
Toledo, V.,&Ross, A.2004.Unihemispheric sound in dolphins.TecnoVet, 10 (3): 3-7.

Comments

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

Is it right to have a sugar petaide as a pet?

According to the PETA organization ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ), having a sugar petaide as a pet is to deprive you of "everything that is natural and meaningful to them: the company of its own species, fresh air, outdoors and the opportunity to climb or do almost anything other than walking or sitting and looking out of a small cage."[1] To market with them, these animals are raised in unsuitable facilities or brought by illegal trafficking of species in plastic bottles from their home country, Australia. On the other hand, due to the lack of Veterinary information, death in animals held in captivity is very premature.In addition, behavioral problems are accused by the lack of knowledge about the eto Lodge of the species and because of the cognitive deficits that it suffers from being caged, which leads to mass abandonment, ending the animals in recovery centers at best. If you decide Get in touch with one of these centers to adopt one or mo...

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Why does my dog have 5 fingers on the hind legs?

Have you ever noticed how many fingers Do you have a dog in the front and back legs? You may have never noticed exactly, but dogs have 5 fingers on the front legs and 4 on the hind legs. However, sometimes we can see dogs that have 5 fingers on the hind legs , some even 6 and are called "ram".Do not be alarmed if this is your case, we will share with you all the necessary information so that you know why this characteristic is due and that you should (or don't). Keep reading this Animals and Pets Online article and discover why my dog has 5 fingers on the hind legs . Why do some dogs have spurs? The spur or "toe" on the hind legs of dogs is mainly due to genetics of a series of breeds concrete , although it can manifest itself in practically any dog.This characteristic does not represent any health problem and is not a disorder or malformation. It is believed that this claw that we can observe in the paws Rear could serve to give more support...

Why do chow chow have blue tongues?

Chow chow's tongue is blue or purple due to the presence of pigment cells , that is, cells that contain elements called pigments that provide that color.Genetically they have a higher concentration of these cells and, therefore, have a different color to the other races.These cells, in addition to being in the tongue, are, above all, in the mucous membranes, that is why the chow chow is the only dog with lips, gums and palate characterized by being blue/blackish, if not almost entirely. A curious fact is that this characteristic is not only presented by certain dogs such as chow chow, but we also see it present in other animals such as giraffes, the breed of Jersey cattle and some bear families, such as the polar bear.In fact, some studies conclude that chow chow comes from Hemicyon , a species of mammal that is between the dog and now extinct bears, and that he lived in the Miocene.However, there is still no definitive scientific evidence to reduce this hypothesis, so, for ...

5 homemade cat toys

Cats love the game and it's understandable.This is an essential activity for their well-being , since it inhibits acute and chronic stress.Cats begin to play around two weeks of age, first to hunt shadows, thus learning to coordinate. Behaviors of game are very important for a cat, especially if he lives alone (without the presence of other cats).The owner must stimulate this behavior so essential, always through toys, and avoiding hands. In this article of ExpertAnimal we have compiled several crafts from our YouTube channel: 5 jug Homemade toys for cats-Easy, cheap and recycled .If you are looking for cheap DIY options you have come to the right place! 1.Toy and DIY cat food dispenser The first toy we propose is a food dispenser, commercially known as kong.It is a toy that stimulates your intelligence and physical activity and is especially positive for cats with anxiety or stress.do it on our YouTube video about 3 toys for homemade cats or follow the instructions: ...

How are dogs born? - Explanation and Birth

One aspect of dog care that more doubts and expectations arouse is the one related to their birth.That is why in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how dogs are born for information, both to know the reproduction of dogs and to know what to do in case of adopting a pregnant dog.Yes, it is important that, as caregivers, we have knowledge about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, since they are especially sensitive situations in which it is important to know how to identify any alteration to consult to the veterinarian in time. And if you do not live with dogs but, equally, you are interested in knowing more about this animal species, then we talk about how dogs are born and we make a summary suitable for all audiences. Reproduction of the dogs Before stopping to explain how dogs are born, it is important to talk about the reproductive system of these animals.So, the reproduction of dogs is sexual, by copulation.To do this, bitches present two fertile ...

Why does my dog bark at some people and not others?

Why do dogs bark? To understand why your dog barks at some people and not others, you must first know why dogs bark, although our hairy people mostly use their body language to express their moods, emotions and perceptions about their surroundings , barking plays a very important role in its relationship with people, with other animals and with the surrounding environment. In their day to day, dogs bark to communicate the different emotions and experiences that they live, which depends a lot on the environment they are in and the stimuli they perceive.By saying stimuli we are not only referring to noises, images or smells, but also to the presence of other individuals in their territory (people, dogs, cats or other animals).Therefore, there are many possible meanings of the barking of dogs. In order to identify what each bark of dogs means our hairy, we must pay attention to their postu flush, facial expressions and their meanings.A stressed dog, in addition to barking, usual...

Bach flowers for cats

In the last few years we hear frequent talk of Bach flowers, also applied to our Companion animals.There are more and more numerous cases treated with this therapy, as well as veterinary professionals who are trained in this discipline.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will focus on cats to discover what Bach flowers are, which These are the benefits and uses they can have for our cats.If you've ever heard of these Bach flowers for cats , you're interested in reading! What are Bach flowers? The 38 extracts of flowers and plants discovered by the English doctor Edward Bach in the early twentieth century are called.This doctor chose plants that acted on different conditions that could experience the human beings, such as fear, sadness, anger or hyperactivity.Prepared these plants in the form of dilutions that conserved with alcohol in a dropper to facilitate their use.Various drops were administered directly several times a day or put in the water or even in t...

Can I bathe my dog if I just wormed him?

When is it a first time in adopting a dog, it is normal that many doubts arise about what is best for them and when it is advisable to do everything, so Animals and Pets Online solves all the questions that arise. Deworming your dog periodically is necessary to preserve their health and avoid possible diseases from the action of microorganisms, external and internal parasites, among others.If you do not know when you should bathe your dog after a deworming , keep reading this article. Why deworm the dog? You may think that deworming is not necessary, but the truth is that thanks to it you avoid your dog much discomfort, in addition to prevent diseases transmitted by parasites . Among the main parasites, both external and internal, are ticks, fleas, lice, losacaros and intestinal worms, among many others.Pruritus, hair loss, diarrhea, tick disease, and even death in the most serious cases, they are part of the consequences that cause these beings to stay in the body of your furr...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog