Arz [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsMany young animals, whether human, rat or fruit fly, need lots of sleep. The existence of this trait across diverse taxonomic groups implies some fundamental importance, and some scientists are intrigued enough to take a closer look. What mechanisms allow young animals to sleep so much? And what happens if they sleep less? To address these questions, Amita Seghal and colleagues (Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) first measured sleep parameters in fruit flies of different ages.
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