In a captivating revelation from the land down under, Australian scientists have uncovered the extraordinary mating behavior of mouse-sized male antechinus, a small marsupial. According to a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, these diminutive creatures willingly forgo sleep during mating season, prioritizing reproductive activities over rest.
Lead author Erika Zaid, an animal behavior researcher at La Trobe University in Melbourne, explained that unlike their female counterparts, male antechinus can only breed once in their lifetime. This unique mating strategy, known as semelparity, compels them to engage in extreme sleep restriction to maximize their chances of passing on their genes. The study is the first to provide direct evidence of such “extreme” sleep sacrifice in any land-dwelling mammal.
During the mating season, male antechinus reduce their sleep by three hours per night for about three weeks, which is approximately the duration of the mating period. This adaptation is believed to be an adaptive behavioral response driven by strong sexual selection, as males compete fiercely to reproduce with as many females as possible before succumbing to death shortly after the intense mating season.
Zaid highlighted that the sleep reduction in breeding male antechinus is a strategic response to reproductive pressures, emphasizing that sleep is “an essential and seemingly universal behavior in the animal kingdom.” The study used accelerometers to track the movement of the marsupials and took blood samples to measure changes in hormones and biomarkers associated with sleep loss.
Interestingly, females in the wild might also experience sleep deprivation due to male harassment during the mating period, suggesting a shared sacrifice for the survival of the species. While the study sheds light on the males’ sleep sacrifice, further research aims to explore how these marsupials cope with sleep restriction during this critical reproductive period. The findings underscore the fascinating ways in which different species adapt their behavior for the perpetuation of their genetic lineage.
