Semelparous marsupials reduce sleep for sex

Abstract

Sleep is a prominent, seemingly universal animal behavior. Although sleep maintains optimal waking performance, the biological drive to sleep may be incompatible with the life history of some species. In a multi-year study on semelparous marsupials in Australia, we provide the first direct evidence of ecological sleep restriction in a terrestrial mammal. Dusky (Antechinus swainsonii) and agile (A. agilis) antechinus have an unusual reproductive strategy characterized by the synchronous death of all males at the end of their only breeding season. Using accelerometry, electrophysiology, and metabolomics, we show that males, but not females, increase their activity during the breeding season by reducing sleep. In a trade-off between the neurophysiological requirements for sleep and evolutionary necessity for reproduction, strong sexual selection might drive males to sacrifice sleep to increase access to fertile females and ultimately maximize their fitness.

Keywords: antechinus; breeding season; dasyurid; life-history strategy; marsupial; oxalic acid; reproduction; sexual dimorphism; sleep loss; testosterone.