Which element provided the first objective scientific evidence of sleep in the honeybee?
- Direct observation of immobile bees on flowers during the night
- Electromyographic recordings showing different levels of muscular activity
- Analysis of the decrease in thoracic temperature using infrared thermography
- The study of queen pheromones and their calming effect on worker bees
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Correct answer: 2
The first objective evidence of sleep in the honeybee was obtained through electromyographic recordings carried out in the 1980s. This method made it possible to distinguish several levels of muscular activity, ranging from simple rest to deep sleep, thereby establishing a scientific framework for sleep in Apis mellifera. These data show that bee sleep is an organized and regulated physiological state, and not merely passive immobility. The other options are incorrect because they describe observations or mechanisms that were studied later, but did not constitute the first scientific demonstration of sleep in the honeybee.
See also:
► Sleep in bees