英國布里斯托爾大學(xué)（University of Bristol）的研究者們發(fā)現(xiàn),，母雞在生理上和行為上，都能表現(xiàn)出“情感共鳴”或“移情”的一些基本特征,。在這里,，“情感共鳴”指個體能被其它同伴的情緒所影響，并能將自己的情緒帶給同伴,。這是人類第一次證明鳥類是有基本情感的,。該研究在線發(fā)表在英國《皇家學(xué)會學(xué)報B》。
研究者們先讓這些母雞的幼雛們感覺到“郁悶”：讓小雞不斷地受到氣流噴射,，這時,，母雞看到自己的孩子們正經(jīng)歷磨難，測量發(fā)現(xiàn),，母雞的心跳加速,，眼部溫度降低,。在行為上，這些母雞變得更加警覺,，一迭聲地叫喚著它們的小雞不要遠(yuǎn)離群體,，并且梳理羽毛的次數(shù)也減少了。這些警覺的姿態(tài)被認(rèn)為代表著恐懼,。
因此研究者們得到結(jié)論說,，或許“情感共鳴”是基于父母照顧幼年子女而演化出來的，并成為一種父母們必須擁有的能力,。甚至鳥類這種并不具有智慧的生物也產(chǎn)生了基本的情感,。
科學(xué)家們計劃，下一步工作是尋找鳥類,、其它動物和人類基因組中“移情基因”的位置,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Proc. R. Soc. B doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2701
Avian maternal response to chick distress
J. L. Edgar1,*, J. C. Lowe2, E. S. Paul1 and C. J. Nicol1
The extent to which an animal is affected by the pain or distress of a conspecific will depend on its capacity for empathy. Empathy most probably evolved to facilitate parental care, so the current study assessed whether birds responded to an aversive stimulus directed at their chicks. Domestic hens were exposed to two replicates of the following conditions in a counterbalanced order: control (C; hen and chicks undisturbed), air puff to chicks (APC; air puff directed at chicks at 30 s intervals), air puff to hen (APH; air puff directed at hen at 30 s intervals) and control with noise (CN; noise of air puff at 30 s intervals). During each test, the hens' behaviour and physiology were measured throughout a 10 min pre-treatment and a 10 min treatment period. Hens responded to APH and APC treatments with increased alertness, decreased preening behaviour and a reduction in eye temperature. No such changes occurred during any control period. Increased heart rate and maternal vocalization occurred exclusively during the APC treatment, even though chicks produced few distress vocalizations. The pronounced and specific reaction observed indicates that adult female birds possess at least one of the essential underpinning attributes of empathy.
