Abstract
IN a recent study of the sleep behaviour of a reptile (tortoise) it has been reported that a paradoxical or rapid eye movement stage was not observed during extended periods of sleep1–2. Eye movement patterns of the turtle family are not so prominent as are those of certain other reptilians, for example the chameleon, a diurnal lizard. Assuming that the organization of eye movements in the waking state might be reflected during sleep, and because the lizard is phylogenetically more advanced than the turtle, we studied the sleep pattern of two species of chameleons: Chameleo jacksoni and C. melleri. Not only are their eye movements of extraordinary range, but their visual acuity is also superb. Retinal structure is claimed to be superior to that of man3,4.
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References
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TAUBER, E., ROFFWARG, H. & WEITZMAN, E. Eye Movements and Electroencephalogram Activity during Sleep in Diurnal Lizards. Nature 212, 1612–1613 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2121612a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2121612a0
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