一組美國生物學(xué)家進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)研究表明,，熱帶蜥蜴與鳥類和哺乳動物的智力水平相當(dāng),。
研究報(bào)告的主要作者、生物學(xué)家曼紐爾·利爾說,，研究者表示自己的發(fā)現(xiàn)“完全出乎意料”,。這組生物學(xué)家來自北卡羅來納州的杜克大學(xué)。
根據(jù)傳統(tǒng)科學(xué)思維,，與鳥類和哺乳動物相比,，蜥蜴的認(rèn)知能力有限。但這篇刊登在《生物學(xué)通訊》（Biology Letters）上的研究報(bào)告顯示,，熱帶安樂蜥可以解決問題,，甚至將習(xí)得的能力適用到變化的環(huán)境中去。
科學(xué)家對6只安樂蜥進(jìn)行了研究,，他們在兩個洞中的一個洞里放上蠕蟲,，讓蜥蜴尋找蠕蟲的位置。有蠕蟲的洞被蓋子遮住,。
在這6只蜥蜴中,，有4只成功通過了這次考驗(yàn)，它們或是用嘴掀起蓋子,，或是咬穿蓋子并將其移除,。研究報(bào)告合著者利爾和布賴恩·鮑威爾寫道：“這完全是一種新形式的捕食行為。”
這些蜥蜴還能夠在其他情況下使用這種新習(xí)得的開蓋策略,。當(dāng)兩個洞都被不同的蓋子遮住時(shí),，這些蜥蜴正確辨認(rèn)出含有蠕蟲的洞，證明它們已經(jīng)學(xué)會辨認(rèn)遮蓋蠕蟲的蓋子顏色,。
兩只蜥蜴甚至對新習(xí)得的知識進(jìn)行了調(diào)整,。當(dāng)利爾和鮑威爾將蠕蟲放入此前一直空著的洞時(shí)，所有蜥蜴一開始都找錯了洞,。
然而,，兩只蜥蜴發(fā)現(xiàn)情況發(fā)生了變化，在新的地點(diǎn)發(fā)現(xiàn)了蠕蟲,。
生物學(xué)家喬納森·洛索斯說：“根據(jù)環(huán)境變化改變行為的能力是動物擁有更高智力的一個標(biāo)志,。”(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0480
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Behavioural flexibility and problem-solving in a tropical lizard
Leal, Manuel; Powell, Brian J.
The role of behavioural flexibility in responding to new or changing environmental challenges is a central theme in cognitive ecology. Studies of behavioural flexibility have focused mostly on mammals and birds because theory predicts that behavioural flexibility is favoured in species or clades that exploit a diversity of habitats or food sources and/or have complex social structure, attributes not associated with ectothermic vertebrates. Here, we present the results of a series of experiments designed to test cognitive abilities across multiple cognitive modules in a tropical arboreal lizard: Anolis evermanni. This lizard shows behavioural flexibility across multiple cognitive tasks, including solving a novel motor task using multiple strategies and reversal learning, as well as rapid associative learning. This flexibility was unexpected because lizards are commonly believed to have limited cognitive abilities and highly stereotyped behaviour. Our findings indicate that the cognitive abilities of A. evermanni are comparable with those of some endothermic species that are recognized to be highly flexible, and strongly suggest a re-thinking of our understanding of the cognitive abilities of ectothermic tetrapods and of the factors favouring the evolution of behavioural flexibility.
