Jumping spiders appear to have REM-like sleep, twitching and moving their eyes
The first full experimental case that spiders really sleep, with stages, and a careful note that nobody knows yet whether they dream.
Researchers at the University of Bonn found that the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata has two distinct sleep stages, one resembling human REM sleep, with eye movements and muscle twitches, according to a university release on ScienceDaily.
The team watched spiders in 12 cm dishes with infrared cameras, used sound to test how quickly they responded, and deprived them of sleep to check for "sleep rebound." The release calls this the first comprehensive experimental confirmation that spiders have genuine, regulated sleep rather than just resting.
The researchers stress that REM-like movements do not show that spiders dream. Portia is a coin-sized hunter of other spiders that lures prey by faking the vibrations of trapped insects. Next, the team plans to compare species, study sleep and learning, and test how artificial light at night affects arthropod sleep.
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Portia fimbriata
After exploring Do spiders dream? Scientists just found a surprising clue | ScienceDaily, to meet the spider, see Portia fimbriata.
The fringed jumping spider of Australia and Southeast Asia; adult females are about 7 to 10.5 mm long, with a dark brown body.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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Rapid eye movement sleep
After exploring Do spiders dream? Scientists just found a surprising clue | ScienceDaily, for what REM means in mammals and birds, read Rapid eye movement sleep.
The sleep phase found in all mammals and birds and some reptiles, marked by rapid eye movements, low muscle tone and vivid dreaming.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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