by
LiveScience Staff
Date:
20 February 2013 Time: 06:14 PM ET
When
a seal goes to sleep in the water, it shuts down just half of its brain at a
time, much like a snoozing whale or dolphin. Now researchers say they know more
about the chemicals behind the amazing ability.
"Seals
sleep this way while they're in water, but they sleep like humans while on
land. Our research may explain how this unique biological phenomenon
happens," University of Toronto researcher John Peever said.
In
experiments, Peever's colleague, doctoral student Jennifer Lapierre, measured
levels of different brain chemicals in fur seals when they were awake and
asleep.
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