| Titre : | Characterization and Modulation of Sleep in the Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius): Environmental, Methodological, and Developmental Perspectives |
| Titre original: | Caractérisation et modulation du sommeil chez le dromadaire (Camelus dromedarius) : perspectives environnementales, méthodologiques et développementales |
| Auteurs : | BENIAICH Younes, Auteur ; EL ALLALI Khalid |
| Type de document : | texte imprimé |
| Editeur : | Rabat : IAV Hassan II, 2026 |
| ISBN/ISSN/EAN : | 978-99205-30576-- |
| Format : | 238 pages |
| Note générale : |
Formation Doctorale : Sciences Vétérinaires
Unité de Recherche : Adaptation morpho-fonctionnelle, performances de production et pathologies des animaux domestiques en zones arides |
| Langues: | Anglais |
| Mots-clés: | Dromedary camel ; sleep architecture ; rest-activity ; polysomnography ; first night effect ; locomotor activity ; rumination ; food-anticipatory activity ; sleep ontogeny |
| Résumé : |
Sleep is a fundamental biological state essential for physiological regulation and cognitive function. Yet, despite its universality, sleep remains incompletely understood across the class Mammalia. Current knowledge is heavily biased toward a small number of model species. This taxonomic bias limits our understanding of how sleep architecture evolves in response to extreme ecological niches and specific physiological constraints.
The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) represents a unique model to address this gap. Highly adapted to desert environments, camels exhibit exceptional thermoregulatory and metabolic flexibility. Simultaneously, the camel industry is shifting from extensive grazing to intensive farming systems. Since sleep is a sensitive indicator of animal welfare, characterizing sleep in this species is not only of fundamental scientific interest but also critical for establishing welfare standards in emerging production systems. Yet, until this work, sleep in the camel had never been systematically characterized using polysomnography (PSG). The present thesis aims to fill this gap by providing the first comprehensive description of the sleep-wake cycle in the dromedary camel, combining behavioral, electrophysiological, chronobiological, and ontogenetic approaches. This thesis provides the first systematic, electrophysiological characterization of sleep and rest in the dromedary camel. Using noninvasive PSG and behavioral monitoring, we demonstrate that adult camels exhibit a polyphasic sleep pattern during the night. Five distinct vigilance states were identified: wakefulness, drowsiness, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and rumination. Quantitatively, the dromedary is among the shortest-sleeping mammals, with a total sleep time (TST) averaging 1.7 hours per night (excluding drowsiness). Specific resting postures were strongly predictive of PSG sleep states, REM sleep occurring exclusively in sternal recumbency with the head and neck resting on the ground, though electrophysiological confirmation remains necessary for precise quantification. To validate these findings methodologically, we investigated the "first night effect" (FNE) in dromedaries. Our analysis confirmed that camels are highly sensitive to environmental novelty and instrumentation. The first recording night was characterized by increased wakefulness and drowsiness (reclassified as light NREM sleep), alongside a reduction in REM sleep and rumination. These changes were driven by alterations in episode number and duration of these states. These results show that an acclimatization period is essential for obtaining reliable sleep data in camels; alternatively, at least the first night of recording should be excluded from the PSG analysis to ensure the accuracy of the results. Beyond baseline characterization ...............etc |
| Examinateur : | Etienne Challet/Paul PEVET |
| Président : | Ouarour Ali |
| Rapporteur : | NASSIK Saâdia/CHIGR Fatiha |
| Directeur de thèse : | EL ALLALI Khalid |
| Membre du comité : | FARSI Hicham/Amal Satté |
| Invité : | Lakhdar Ghazal Nouria |
| En ligne : | http://10.2.0.27/PDF_CDA/uploads/PDF/BENIAICH_Younes_2026_223.pdf |
Exemplaires (2)
| Code-barres | Cote | Support | Localisation | Section | Disponibilité |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200042425 | CED 223 | Support papier | Espace 1er étage | CEDoc | Consultation sur place Exclu du prêt |
| 200042426 | CED 223 | Support papier | Espace 1er étage | CEDoc | Consultation sur place Exclu du prêt |
