- David M. Raizen et al
- Nature 451, 569-572 (31 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06535
- There are fundamental similarities between sleep in mammals and quiescence in the arthropod Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting that sleep-like states are evolutionarily ancient.
- The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also has a quiescent behavioural state during a period called lethargus, which occurs before each of the four moults4. Like sleep, lethargus maintains a constant temporal relationship with the expression of the C. elegans Period homologue LIN-42.
- Here they show that quiescence associated with lethargus has the additional sleep-like properties of reversibility, reduced responsiveness and homeostasis.
