 |
|
The Evolution of Aversion: Why even children are fearful of snakes
February 28, 2008Some of the oldest tales and wisest mythology allude to the snake as a mischievous seducer, dangerous foe or powerful iconoclast; however, the legend surrounding this proverbial predator may not be based solely on fantasy. As scientists from the University of Virginia recently discovered, the common fear of snakes is most likely intrinsic.
Evolutionarily speaking, early humans who were capable of surviving the dangers of an uncivilized society adapted accordingly. And the same can be said of the common fear of certain animals, such as spiders and snakes: The ancestors of modern humans were either abnormally lucky or extraordinarily capable of detecting and deterring the threat of, for example, a poisonous snake.
Psychologists Vanessa LoBue and Judy DeLoache were able to show this phenomenon by examining the ability of adults and children to pinpoint snakes among other nonthreatening objects in pictures.
"We wanted to know whether preschool children, who have much less experience with natural threats than adults, would detect the presence of snakes as quickly as their parents," LoBue explained. "If there is an evolved tendency in humans for the rapid detection of snakes, it should appear in young children as well as their elders."
Preschool children and their parents were shown nine color photographs on a computer screen and were asked to find either the single snake among eight flowers, frogs or caterpillars, or the single nonthreatening item among eight snakes. As the study surprisingly shows, parents and their children identified snakes more rapidly than they detected the other stimuli, despite the gap in age and experience.
The results, which appear in the March 2008 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, may provide the first evidence of an adapted, visually-stimulated fear mechanism in humans.
Association for Psychological Science
"We wanted to know whether preschool children, who have much less experience with natural threats than adults, would detect the presence of snakes as quickly as their parents," LoBue explained. "If there is an evolved tendency in humans for the rapid detection of snakes, it should appear in young children as well as their elders."
Preschool children and their parents were shown nine color photographs on a computer screen and were asked to find either the single snake among eight flowers, frogs or caterpillars, or the single nonthreatening item among eight snakes. As the study surprisingly shows, parents and their children identified snakes more rapidly than they detected the other stimuli, despite the gap in age and experience.
The results, which appear in the March 2008 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, may provide the first evidence of an adapted, visually-stimulated fear mechanism in humans.
Association for Psychological Science
Snake News and Current Snake Events RSSTiny invasive snail impacts Great Lakes, alters ecology
Long a problem in the western U.S., the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to a Penn State team of researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species.
Brown tree snake could mean Guam will lose more than its birds
In the last 60 years, brown tree snakes have become the embodiment of the bad things that can happen when invasive species are introduced in places where they have few predators. Unchecked for many years, the snakes caused the extinction of nearly every native bird species on the Pacific island of Guam.
World's smallest snake found in Barbados
The world's smallest species of snake, with adults averaging just under four inches in length, has been identified on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The species -- which is as thin as a spaghetti noodle and small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter --was discovered by Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Penn State.
Rubber 'snake' could help wave power get a bite of the energy market
A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves.
UC San Diego researchers eliminate drug discovery bottleneck
Determining the structure of unknown natural compounds is a slow and expensive part of drug screening and development - but this may now change thanks to a new combination of experimental and computational protocols developed at the University of California, San Diego and presented at RECOMB 2008 (Research in Computational Molecular Biology) on March 31 in Singapore.
Squirrels Use Snake Scent
California ground squirrels and rock squirrels chew up rattlesnake skin and smear it on their fur to mask their scent from predators, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis.
Which came first, the chicken genome or the egg genome?
Which came first, the chicken genome or the egg genome? Researchers have answered a similarly vexing (and far more relevant) genomic question: Which of the thousands of long stretches of repeated DNA in the human genome came first? And which are the duplicates?
New animal and plant species found in Vietnam
World Wildlife Fund scientists said today that the discovery of 11 new animal and plant species in a remote area in central Vietnam underscores the importance of conservation efforts in the ancient tropical forests of the region.
Cell that triggers symptoms in allergy attacks can also limit damage, Stanford researchers find
A blood cell known as a troublemaker for triggering the itch and inflammation in allergy attacks, the mast cell, can also calm down the flare-ups.
Ecologists work to link kids with nature
"Cable television and video games are winning out over more traditional outdoor recreation for the time and interest of our young people.
More Snake News Articles
 | The Secret by Rhonda Byrne Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.In this book, you'll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life -- money, health, relationships,... |
 | Debt Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau Are you getting deeper and deeper into debt while they make bigger and bigger profits? Not after you read...Debt Cure$ "They" Don't Want You To Know About! In this new book, Kevin Trudeau blows the lid off the banking and credit card industries, exposing the greatest rip off of our citizens in this nation's history. The credit card industry is one of the most profitable industries in this... |
 | Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't by Michael J. Losier This self-help book offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step inspirational program that leads readers through the process of figuring out what they want, why they don't have it yet, and what they need to do to get it and the life they've always desired.... |
 | The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau Weight Loss Cure book shares secrets for shedding pounds and keeping em off. Health expert Kevin Trudeau explains natural, diet-free methods for quickly andpermanently losing fat and inches without feeling hungry. Includes advice on organic food, exercise, adding muscle and internal cleansing. Hardcover, 256... |
 | Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About by Kevin Trudeau Kevin Trudeau blows the lid off a nest of deception and double standards concerning general and individual health in this new book, "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About." Kevin has risked government prosecution to bring you the full story of an intricate conspiracy. From the retail supermarket outlets of huge, publicly traded corporations comes processed, manipulated, engineered... |
 | Talking to Heaven: A Medium's Message of Life After Death by James Van Praagh As in the case of James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy, once in a while a book comes along that unexpectedly soars to the bestseller lists simply because it feeds a specific spiritual hunger. Talking to Heaven is one such book. Based on the personal insights and memories of highly acclaimed medium James Van Praagh, Talking to Heaven offers comforting and startling stories about his contact... |
 | The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers by Bryan Christy Imagine The Sopranos, with snakes! The Lizard King is a fascinating account of a father and son family business suspected of smuggling reptiles, and the federal agent who tried to take them down. When Bryan Christy began to investigate the world of reptile smuggling, he had no idea what he would be in for. In the course of his research, he was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased... |
 | The Warrior Diet: Switch on Your Biological Powerhouse For High Energy, Explosive Strength, and a Leaner, Harder Body by Ori Hofmekler Along with the many benefits of leisure-class living comes obesity and its attendant ailments. In The Warrior Diet, Ori Hofmekler looks not forward but backward for a solution–to the primal habits of early cultures such as nomads and hunter-gatherers, the Greeks, and the Romans. Based on survival science, this book proposes not ordinary dietary changes but rather a radical yet surprisingly... |
 | Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau |
 | Quantum Success: The Astounding Science of Wealth and Happiness by Sandra Anne Taylor What would you do if you could really achieve all that you desire? This revealing look at the science of success will show you how to do just that! This formula for abundant living is actually based in the principles of quantum physics, and you can actually tap in to these powerful forces to make your dreams come true. Sandra Anne Taylor, international speaker, counselor, and corporate... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |