About This Video

All animals sleep in some form, what makes birds special? Why are scientists like Niels Rattenborg particularly interested in avian sleep patterns? Turns out, birds have evolved the same type of sleep states as mammals. But this change didn’t stem from a common bird/mammal ancestor, it happened independently in what is called convergent evolution.
More from this series: Mind after Midnight

Recorded June 2011; Posted October 2011