Zombie Research Society
One of the most common behavioral theories we encounter is that zombies are nocturnal; meaning they’re mostly active at night. It’s likely that George A. Romero himself is responsible for this concept due to the title, or perhaps even the behavior of the undead themselves, in his groundbreaking film Night of the Living Dead. But the idea has certainly taken root since 1968, and nocturnal zombies are fairly common in everything from film, television, and video games to literature and comic books. But why is this nocturnal zombie theory so popular?
Fear of the dark is a common phobia among children and many adults. But it doesn’t always concern the darkness itself. Nyctophobia can also be an irrational fear of the danger, unseen threats, or some terrible menace lurking in the dark cloak of night. It’s absolutely perfect for a modern day monster. However that’s just the psychology; what about the actual science?
There are many biological and evolutionary advantages to being nocturnal. Not to mention a number of medical conditions that could plague the undead themselves. So let’s take a brief look at a few of these examples, and see how the theory of nocturnal zombies measures up!
- Photophobia – Unlike the psychological condition known as heliophobia, photophobia is the physical experience of pain associated with light sensitivity. Zombies could experience these symptoms as the result of damage to their eyes, central nervous system, or a number of other causes including genetic disorders, rabies, and infectious diseases like influenza.
- Crypsis – This is simply the ability to avoid observation or detection. One form of this predation strategy is aggressive mimicry, which would allow zombies to use darkness as cover; appearing human merely to get close to their prey. It’s likely that crypsis would be an evolutionary or learned trait that requires at least some form of basic cognitive ability in the undead themselves. Of course, it could also be an inherent aspect of the zombie virus.
- Insomnia – Ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, regulates appetite and plays a significant role in energy homeostasis. Put simply; when the stomach is empty, ghrelin is secreted. Ghrelin also plays an important role in regulating reward cognition in dopamine neurons. So, assuming that zombies never truly rest, their bodies will continue to crave food or dopamine; driving them to a ravenous frenzy during the night as their food source sleeps.
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Aestivation – This is basically the opposite of hibernation, characterized by physical inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate during times of heat or dryness. Scientists believe that animals enter this dormant state to avoid damage from high temperatures and the risk of desiccation. Perhaps zombies simply avoid daytime to escape the accumulate effects of sunlight or the damage that UV radiation can wreak on their mutant DNA and undead flesh.
Those are just some of the possibilities; we didn’t even cover parasitic control. For example, a hairworm can produce mind-controlling chemicals that cause an infected cricket to move towards the light. So it’s not hard to imagine a similar parasite that prefers the dark instead.
But if zombies prove to be nocturnal, we believe it will be due to some intrinsic, genetic, or biological change rather than a strategy. Nocturnal behavior would have to be autonomic or triggered by a biological mechanism like pain. Symptoms like discomfort or light sensitivity also align nicely with zombie decay theory due to the natural fluids present in our eyeballs.
Dryness, decay, and rot are almost immediate after death. So it wouldn’t be surprising for the undead to suffer some sort of physical agony or desiccation from the sunlight, causing them to avoid daytime. Perhaps this could be an explanation for their nocturnal behavior.
But what do you think; are zombies nocturnal? Will the undead eventually learn, adapt, and change their behavior simply because it suits their new lifestyle, or could their actions be a direct result of the zombie infection itself? Obviously, we’re not even sure the infected will be more active at night, but it’s always better to be prepared than dead. So please leave your thoughts, theories, and comments below; because what you don’t know could eat you!