Why do we sleep?

[Patrice Boily]

Paul Runyan (par at perth.DIALix.oz.au) wrote:
: In <2lc1mj$89j at auggie.CCIT.Arizona.EDU> robertd at argon.gas.uug.arizona.edu (Robert Dejournett) writes:

: >  I think you all are missing the key issue, i think that animals sleep 
: >for evolutionary reassons; those with good day vision can't do much at night,
: >so they 'shutdown', oposite for those nocternile things.  You notice that 
: >sponges and clams and other 'lower' animals don't sleep.

: >-Rob 

: How would'ya tell?

	Actually I remember reading (don't know where) than even "lower"
life forms sleep, such as ants and bees.  I don't know how it was
determined that the animals were *sleeping*, but they apparently have
periods of comlete muscle relaxation every day.

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Patrice Boily
Dept. Zoology					pboily at uoguelph.ca
University of Guelph				(519) 824-5380  Phone
Guelph, Ontario, Canada				(519) 767 1656  FAX
N1G 2W1
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