Evolution of Sleep
Phylogenetic and Functional Perspectives

This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and biological anthropology and to biomedical researchers studying sleep medicine.

Patrick McNamara (Edited by), Robert A. Barton (Edited by), Charles L. Nunn (Edited by)

9780521894975, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 October 2009

288 pages, 48 b/w illus. 5 tables
26 x 18.2 x 2 cm, 0.68 kg

"This book is necessary reading for anyone working in sleep medicine. The reader will understand better why today, despite the abundant research reported in this book, we are far from understanding the entire function of sleep in humans. Yet at the same time, a good understanding can be gained about the evolutionary threads that can be perceived through phylogenetic analyses. We can use investigations of many different models to improve our knowledge of both animal and human sleep, and design protocols to pursue our quest to understand one of our vital functions.
Mia Zaharna Christian Guilleminault, Division of Sleep Medicine Stanford University for American Journal of Human Biology

Research during the past two decades has produced major advances in understanding sleep within particular species. Simultaneously, molecular advances have made it possible to generate phylogenetic trees, while new analytical methods provide the tools to examine macroevolutionary change on these trees. These methods have recently been applied to questions concerning the evolution of distinctive sleep state characteristics and functions. This book synthesizes recent advances in our understanding of the evolutionary origins of sleep and its adaptive function, and it lays the groundwork for future evolutionary research by assessing sleep patterns in the major animal lineages.

1. Introduction Patrick McNamara, Charles L. Nunn and Robert A. Barton
2. Ecological constraints on mammalian sleep architecture Isabella Capellini, Brian T. Preston, Patrick McNamara, Robert A. Barton and Charles L. Nunn
3. Sleep in insects Kristyna M. Hartse
4. Schooling by continuously-active fishes: clues to sleep's ultimate function J. Lee Kavanau
5. What exactly is it that sleeps?: the evolution, regulation and organization of an emergent network property James M. Krueger
6. Evolutionary medicine of sleep disorders: toward a science of sleep duration Patrick McNamara and Sanford Auerbach
7. Primate sleep in phylogenetic perspective Charles N. Nunn, Patrick McNamara, Isabella Capellini, Brian T. Preston and Robert Barton
8. A bird's eye view on the function of sleep Niels C. Rattenborg and Charles J. Amlaner
9. The evolution of wakefulness: from reptiles to mammals Ruben V. Rial, Mourad Akaarir, Antoni Gamundi, M. Cristina Nicolau and Susana Esteban
10. Evolution of REM sleep Mahesh M. Thakkar and Subimal Datta
11. Towards the understanding of the function of sleep: new insights from mouse genetics Valter Tucci and Patrick M. Nolan
12. Fishing for sleep Irina V. Zhdanova.

Subject Areas: Medical anthropology [PSXM], Neurosciences [PSAN], Evolution [PSAJ], Anthropology [JHM]