Orca-whale and dolphin mothers and their newborns appear not to sleep for a month after the pups’ birth, researchers report. Neither parent nor offspring shows any ill effects from the long waking stint, and the animals don’t later compensate with extra sleep.
UP WITH THE BABY. An orca-whale mother and her newborn pup may forgo sleep for several weeks before adopting a normal pattern. Dolphins also exhibit this behavior. SeaWorld, San Diego
No previously studied mammal stays awake for so long, says Jerry Siegel of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), an investigator in the study.
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