日本一項(xiàng)研究表明,，猴子具有與人一樣的面部識(shí)別能力，能根據(jù)眼和嘴等特征來(lái)識(shí)別同伴,，一旦這些特征發(fā)生變化,，它們立即能發(fā)現(xiàn)其中的不同，但把同伴的面部照片倒立,，它們就感覺(jué)不到異樣,。
猴子和人的這個(gè)共同特性，在生物學(xué)上被稱為“撒切爾效應(yīng)”,，這是根據(jù)英國(guó)前首相撒切爾夫人命名的,，因?yàn)槿銮袪柗蛉嗣娌康倪@一特征比較典型。猴子也是人類(lèi)以外第一個(gè)被發(fā)現(xiàn)具有“撒切爾效應(yīng)”的靈長(zhǎng)類(lèi)動(dòng)物,。
日本京都大學(xué)靈長(zhǎng)類(lèi)研究所足立幾磨等人以恒河猴為研究對(duì)象,，他們讓4只雄性恒河猴觀察某些猴子的面部照片，連續(xù)觀察10次后,，它們便逐漸喪失興趣,，最后只花3秒鐘左右簡(jiǎn)單瞄一眼照片。
研究人員接著把照片顛倒,，又把照片中的眼睛和嘴顛倒,，做出一些新照片讓恒河猴觀看，結(jié)果恒河猴沒(méi)有表現(xiàn)出興趣,，就好像什么變化都沒(méi)發(fā)生似的,；但如果不把照片顛倒，只把照片中的眼睛和嘴顛倒,，恒河猴就會(huì)對(duì)照片再次產(chǎn)生興趣,，它們盯著照片看的時(shí)間約有6秒。研究人員認(rèn)為,，注視時(shí)間延長(zhǎng)表明恒河猴發(fā)現(xiàn)了照片中的變化,。
研究人員在美國(guó)《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》（Current Biology）雜志上說(shuō)，這是人們首次發(fā)現(xiàn)人類(lèi)以外的靈長(zhǎng)類(lèi)動(dòng)物具有“撒切爾效應(yīng)”,，3000萬(wàn)年前人和恒河猴的共同祖先可能就具有了這種能力,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Current Biology, 25 June 2009 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.067
Thatcher Effect in Monkeys Demonstrates Conservation of Face Perception across Primates
Ikuma Adachi1,3,Dina P. Chou2andRobert R. Hampton1,2,,
1 Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
2 Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
3 Present address: Kyoto University Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama City, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
Accurate recognition of individuals is a foundation of social cognition. The remarkable ability of humans to distinguish among thousands of similar faces depends on sensitivity to unique configurations of facial features, including subtle differences in the relative placement of the eyes and mouth [1,2]. Determining whether similar perceptual processes underlie individual recognition in nonhuman primates is important for both the study of cognitive evolution and the appropriate use of primate models in social cognition research. In humans, some of the best evidence for a keen sensitivity to the configuration of features in faces comes from the Thatcher effect. This effect shows that it is difficult to detect changes in the orientation of the eyes and mouth in an image of an inverted face, even though identical changes are unmistakable in an upright face [3,4]. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that a nonhuman primate species also exhibits the Thatcher effect. This direct evidence of configural face perception in monkeys, collected under testing conditions that closely parallel those used with humans, indicates that perceptual mechanisms for individual recognition have been conserved through primate cognitive evolution.
