根據(jù)新華社7月5日?qǐng)?bào)道，撒哈馬拉扎鼬狐猴是生活在馬達(dá)加斯加島上的一種靈長(zhǎng)類物種,。一項(xiàng)新研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，這種狐猴能聽(tīng)懂鳥(niǎo)兒的報(bào)警鳴叫，從而提前獲知捕食者的到來(lái),，以提高生存幾率,。
撒哈馬拉扎鼬狐猴已于2012年被列為極度瀕危物種，它們主要在夜間活動(dòng),，白天在樹(shù)洞里睡覺(jué),，喜歡獨(dú)居。人們對(duì)這種狐猴的了解非常有限,，迄今不清楚它們?nèi)绾味惚懿妒痴摺?/p>
來(lái)自英國(guó)布里斯托爾大學(xué)等機(jī)構(gòu)的研究人員5日在美國(guó)期刊《科學(xué)公共圖書(shū)館綜合卷》上報(bào)告說(shuō),，他們給在樹(shù)洞里睡覺(jué)的撒哈馬拉扎鼬狐猴播放馬達(dá)加斯加特有的兩種鳥(niǎo)類——鳳頭馬島鵑與馬島鵲鴝的報(bào)警鳴叫以及其他一些鳥(niǎo)類的“輕松歌唱”，發(fā)現(xiàn)這些狐猴聽(tīng)到報(bào)警鳴叫時(shí),，警惕性顯著提高,，會(huì)抬頭掃視四周，尋找危險(xiǎn)的來(lái)源,。
研究人員表示,，這項(xiàng)研究測(cè)試的是上述狐猴能否理解非靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物的報(bào)警鳴叫與其他“語(yǔ)音”之間的區(qū)別。研究表明,，這種狐猴能通過(guò)“監(jiān)聽(tīng)”其他動(dòng)物的報(bào)警聲音,，盡早獲知捕食者出現(xiàn)。
研究人員表示,，這種“監(jiān)聽(tīng)”可能是撒哈馬拉扎鼬狐猴作為獨(dú)居動(dòng)物的一種必備能力,，這種能力有助其提高其生存幾率。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
PLoS ONE doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067397
Melanie Seiler, Christoph Schwitzer, Marco Gamba, Marc W. Holderied
Interspecific Semantic Alarm Call Recognition in the Solitary Sahamalaza Sportive Lemur, Lepilemur sahamalazensis
As alarm calls indicate the presence of predators, the correct interpretation of alarm calls, including those of other species, is essential for predator avoidance. Conversely, communication calls of other species might indicate the perceived absence of a predator and hence allow a reduction in vigilance. This “eavesdropping” was demonstrated in birds and mammals, including lemur species. Interspecific communication between taxonomic groups has so far been reported in some reptiles and mammals, including three primate species. So far, neither semantic nor interspecific communication has been tested in a solitary and nocturnal lemur species. The aim of this study was to investigate if the nocturnal and solitary Sahamalaza sportive lemur, Lepilemur sahamalazensis, is able to access semantic information of sympatric species. During the day, this species faces the risk of falling prey to aerial and terrestrial predators and therefore shows high levels of vigilance. We presented alarm calls of the crested coua, the Madagascar magpie-robin and aerial, terrestrial and agitation alarm calls of the blue-eyed black lemur to 19 individual Sahamalaza sportive lemurs resting in tree holes. Songs of both bird species’ and contact calls of the blue-eyed black lemur were used as a control. After alarm calls of crested coua, Madagascar magpie-robin and aerial alarm of the blue-eyed black lemur, the lemurs scanned up and their vigilance increased significantly. After presentation of terrestrial alarm and agitation calls of the blue-eyed black lemur, the animals did not show significant changes in scanning direction or in the duration of vigilance. Sportive lemur vigilance decreased after playbacks of songs of the bird species and contact calls of blue-eyed black lemurs. Our results indicate that the Sahamalaza sportive lemur is capable of using information on predator presence as well as predator type of different sympatric species, using their referential signals to detect predators early, and that the lemurs’ reactions are based on experience and learning.
