一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，靈長類大腦的一組神經(jīng)元能對蛇的圖像做出選擇性的迅速反應(yīng),，其方式能帶來對可能致命的爬行動物的迅速視覺探測,。
Lynne Isbell及其同事測量了兩只獼猴的視覺系統(tǒng)神經(jīng)元對蛇和來自環(huán)境的其他物體的圖像的響應(yīng),。特別是這組作者檢查了中丘腦枕和背外側(cè)丘腦枕的神經(jīng)元,，靈長類動物大腦的這個區(qū)域參與了視覺注意和有威脅的圖像的快速處理,。
這組作者測試了91個神經(jīng)元對蛇的圖像、同伴獼猴的臉,、同伴獼猴的手以及簡單的幾何圖形的響應(yīng),。這組作者報告說，蛇不僅帶來了數(shù)量最多的神經(jīng)元的響應(yīng),，它們還引起了對測試的圖像的最強烈,、最迅速的響應(yīng)。這組作者得出結(jié)論說,，他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)識別出了靈長類對蛇有高度視覺敏感性,、并且甚至能夠在一個擁擠的視覺場景中迅速探測到它們的一個神經(jīng)生物學(xué)基礎(chǔ)。
這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)可能有助于科學(xué)家更好地理解在進化時間上影響了靈長類世系的環(huán)境壓力,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences of the United States of America doi: 10.1073/pnas.1312648110
Pulvinar neurons reveal neurobiological evidence of past selection for rapid detection of snakes
Quan Van Lea,， Lynne A. Isbellb，1,， Jumpei Matsumotoa,， Minh Nguyena， Etsuro Horia,， Rafael S. Maiorc,， Carlos Tomazc， Anh Hai Trana,， Taketoshi Onoa,， and Hisao Nishijoa，1
Snakes and their relationships with humans and other primates have attracted broad attention from multiple fields of study,， but not,， surprisingly， from neuroscience,， despite the involvement of the visual system and strong behavioral and physiological evidence that humans and other primates can detect snakes faster than innocuous objects. Here,， we report the existence of neurons in the primate medial and dorsolateral pulvinar that respond selectively to visual images of snakes. Compared with three other categories of stimuli (monkey faces， monkey hands,， and geometrical shapes),， snakes elicited the strongest， fastest responses,， and the responses were not reduced by low spatial filtering. These findings integrate neuroscience with evolutionary biology,， anthropology， psychology,， herpetology,， and primatology by identifying a neurobiological basis for primates’ heightened visual sensitivity to snakes， and adding a crucial component to the growing evolutionary perspective that snakes have long shaped our primate lineage.
