Which of the following strategies allows bottlenose dolphins to breathe air while sleeping in the ocean?
A) they sleep for only 30 minutes at a time, which is the maximum interval they can cease breathing
B) they fill their swim bladder with air to keep their blowholes above the surface of the water while they sleep
C) they move to shallow water to sleep, so they do not need to swim to keep their blowholes above the surface of the water
D) they alternate which half of their brain is asleep and which half is awake

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bottlenose dolphins, like other cetaceans, have evolved a unique adaptation for sleeping in the water. They are capable of unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, which means they shut down only one half of their brain at a time while the other half remains awake. This allows them to continue surfacing to breathe and to be aware of their surroundings and potential threats.

Which of the Following Strategies Allows Bottlenose Dolphins to Breathe