New research reveals that orangutans, one of our closest living relatives, deal with sleep disruption in a surprisingly human way – they take naps. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz in Germany, working with Indonesian researchers, observed 53 wild orangutans over 14 years in Sumatra’s rainforests. Their groundbreaking study, recently published in Current Biology, provides rare insight into how these great apes manage sleep in their natural environment. “When an orangutan doesn’t get enough sleep, it does what any sleep-deprived human might do: it climbs into bed, lies down, and takes a … Continue reading Wild Orangutans Take Power Naps After Poor Sleep, 14-Year Study Reveals Surprising Human Parallels