日前,，Michael Sheehan 等研究人員在Science期刊上發(fā)表了他們最新的研究成果"Specialized Face Learning Is Associated with Individual Recognition in Paper Wasps",，稱黃蜂具有高度發(fā)達(dá)的視覺識(shí)別能力,，能識(shí)別其它黃蜂獨(dú)特的面部特征，黃蜂之間識(shí)別彼此面部的方式與人類的一致,。
在夏天,，你會(huì)對(duì)一群讓人反感的黃蜂留下深刻印象，它們嗡嗡得隨意亂飛仿佛在尋找能夠享用的食物,。但是,，黃蜂事實(shí)上能識(shí)別出“朋友”，并對(duì)“陌生的家伙”進(jìn)行行動(dòng)攻擊,。這是因?yàn)樗鼈兙哂懈叨劝l(fā)達(dá)的視覺識(shí)別能力,，能識(shí)別其它黃蜂獨(dú)特的面部特征，其它昆蟲不具備這一能力,。
人們之前認(rèn)為,，小而簡(jiǎn)單大腦讓昆蟲不能彼此識(shí)別，因?yàn)樽R(shí)別過程需要處理大量的信息,。
來(lái)自密西根大學(xué)的科學(xué)家訓(xùn)練兩組黃蜂去辨別T形盒子內(nèi)部相似圖像,。
研究人員對(duì)每一對(duì)圖像進(jìn)行40次實(shí)驗(yàn)，這些圖像來(lái)自于其它黃蜂幼蟲,，由簡(jiǎn)單幾何圖樣和電腦修改的黃蜂面部構(gòu)成,。黃蜂能夠較快地識(shí)別未經(jīng)修改的黃蜂圖像，并節(jié)約1/4的時(shí)間去挑選正確的圖像,。
當(dāng)計(jì)算機(jī)對(duì)圖像做出很小的修改（如去除觸角）時(shí),，黃蜂會(huì)在面部識(shí)別測(cè)試中表現(xiàn)得很糟糕,。通訊作者M(jìn)ichael Sheehan 稱：“即便昆蟲眼部能敏銳地發(fā)現(xiàn)色彩反差和輪廓，但是黃蜂并不擅長(zhǎng)識(shí)別簡(jiǎn)單地黑白幾何圖樣,。”
研究小組之前表明,，黃蜂在分開一周后還能認(rèn)識(shí)彼此，事實(shí)上,，它們是唯一一種能夠識(shí)別面部的昆蟲,，這表明相互認(rèn)識(shí)在等級(jí)制度和后代撫養(yǎng)方式上具有重要作用。
黃蜂生活在多蜂后的群體中,，后者協(xié)同撫養(yǎng)后代,。作者認(rèn)為，這能避免黃蜂浪費(fèi)能量在相遇攻擊上,，并促進(jìn)群體的穩(wěn)定,。
Sheehan 稱：“盡管在觀看方式和大腦結(jié)構(gòu)上人類和黃蜂存在差異，但是,，兩者都獨(dú)立進(jìn)化出相似、非常特化的面部識(shí)別機(jī)制,，這一點(diǎn)令人吃驚和奇怪,。”（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1126/science.1211334
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Specialized Face Learning Is Associated with Individual Recognition in Paper Wasps
Michael J. Sheehan, Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
We demonstrate that the evolution of facial recognition in wasps is associated with specialized face-learning abilities. Polistes fuscatus can differentiate among normal wasp face images more rapidly and accurately than nonface images or manipulated faces. A close relative lacking facial recognition, Polistes metricus, however, lacks specialized face learning. Similar specializations for face learning are found in primates and other mammals, although P. fuscatus represents an independent evolution of specialization. Convergence toward face specialization in distant taxa as well as divergence among closely related taxa with different recognition behavior suggests that specialized cognition is surprisingly labile and may be adaptively shaped by species-specific selective pressures such as face recognition.
