Avian sleep homeostasis: Convergent evolution of complex brains, cognition and sleep functions in mammals and birds
Birds are the only taxonomic group other than mammals that exhibit high-amplitude slow-waves in the electroencephalogram (EEG) during sleep. This defining feature of slow-wave sleep (SWS) apparently evolved independently inmammals and birds, as reptiles do not exhibit similar EEG activity during sleep. In mammals, the level of slow-wave activity (SWA) (low-frequency spectral power density) during […]
Colony foundation in the lesser kestrel: patterns and consequences of the occupation of empty habitat patches
Understanding the process of colonization of new habitat patches is critical to clarify the proximate mechanisms involved in the distribution of a species and particularly in the formation of breeding aggregations. We studied the process of colony foundation in a long-term monitored population of lesser kestrels, Falco naumanni. For this purpose, we first analysed which […]