Evolutionary Explanations Flashcards
What do evolutionary explanations look at?
The being still and quiet rather than physiological reasons
Why has being still evolved?
It’s adaptive and increases chances of survival
What did Webb proposed?
Main function is to conserve energy
Hibernation theory: sleep forces animals to conserve energy by keeping them still
Why do animals need to eat more?
They use more energy
What does the evolutionary theory suggest about ecological niches?
The niche an animal fits into dictates it’s sleep pattern
What will an animals sleep patterns depend on?
Diet
Physical environment
Predators
Foraging
Why do animals with a low energy diet have less sleep?
They need to spend more time eating to have sufficient energy
Why do predators sleep for longer?
They can afford to be still and vulnerable
What is Meddis’ ‘waste of time’ hypothesis?
Sleep keeps an animal still when there is nothing better to do with it’s time
