PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to see snakes?

2013-10-29
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Andy Fell
ahfell@ucdavis.edu
530-752-4533
University of California - Davis
Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to see snakes? Was the evolution of high-quality vision in our ancestors driven by the threat of snakes? Work by neuroscientists in Japan and Brazil is supporting the theory originally put forward by Lynne Isbell, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis.

In a paper published Oct. 28 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Isbell; Hisao Nishijo and Quan Van Le at Toyama University, Japan; and Rafael Maior and Carlos Tomaz at the University of Brasilia, Brazil; and colleagues show that there are specific nerve cells in the brains of rhesus macaque monkeys that respond to images of snakes.

The snake-sensitive neurons were more numerous, and responded more strongly and rapidly, than other nerve cells that fired in response to images of macaque faces or hands, or to geometric shapes. Isbell said she was surprised that more neurons responded to snakes than to faces, given that primates are highly social animals.

"We're finding results consistent with the idea that snakes have exerted strong selective pressure on primates," Isbell said.

Isbell originally published her hypothesis in 2006, following up with a book, "The Fruit, the Tree and the Serpent" (Harvard University Press, 2009) in which she argued that our primate ancestors evolved good, close-range vision primarily to spot and avoid dangerous snakes.

Modern mammals and snakes big enough to eat them evolved at about the same time, 100 million years ago. Venomous snakes are thought to have appeared about 60 million years ago — "ambush predators" that have shared the trees and grasslands with primates.

Nishijo's laboratory studies the neural mechanisms responsible for emotion and fear in rhesus macaque monkeys, especially instinctive responses that occur without learning or memory. Previous researchers have used snakes to provoke fear in monkeys, he noted. When Nishijo heard of Isbell's theory, he thought it might explain why monkeys are so afraid of snakes.

"The results show that the brain has special neural circuits to detect snakes, and this suggests that the neural circuits to detect snakes have been genetically encoded," Nishijo said.

The monkeys tested in the experiment were reared in a walled colony and neither had previously encountered a real snake.

"I don't see another way to explain the sensitivity of these neurons to snakes except through an evolutionary path," Isbell said.

Isbell said she's pleased to be able to collaborate with neuroscientists.

"I don't do neuroscience and they don't do evolution, but we can put our brains together and I think it brings a wider perspective to neuroscience and new insights for evolution," she said.

### Other co-authors on the paper were: Jumpei Matsumoto, Minh Nguyen, Etsuro Hori, Anh Hai Tran and Taketoshi Ono at Toyama University. The work is an international collaboration under the Asian Core Program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Eliminating unexplained traffic jams

2013-10-29
Eliminating unexplained traffic jams CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Everybody's experienced it: a miserable backup on the freeway, which you think must be caused by an accident or construction, but which at some point thins out for no apparent reason. Such "traffic ...

Sun continues to emit solar flares

2013-10-29
Sun continues to emit solar flares After emitting its first significant solar flares since June 2013 earlier in the week, the sun continued to produce mid-level and significant solar flares on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, 2013. Solar flares are powerful ...

Study challenges soil testing for potassium and the fertilizer value of potassium chloride

2013-10-29
Study challenges soil testing for potassium and the fertilizer value of potassium chloride URBANA, Ill. – In the chemical age of agriculture that began in the 1960s, potassium chloride (KCl), ...

Researchers turn to technology to discover a novel way of mapping landscapes

2013-10-29
Researchers turn to technology to discover a novel way of mapping landscapes University of Cincinnati researchers are blending technology with tradition, as they discover new and improved methods for mapping landscapes. The research is newly published in the Journal ...

OU research team finds a common bioindicator resistant to insecticides

2013-10-29
OU research team finds a common bioindicator resistant to insecticides In a novel study, a University of Oklahoma researcher and collaborators found a common bioindicator, Hyalella azteca, used to test the toxicity of water or sediment was resistant to insecticides used ...

An eye-opener: NASA sees Hurricane Raymond reborn for a brief time

2013-10-29
An eye-opener: NASA sees Hurricane Raymond reborn for a brief time Tropical Storm Raymond moved away from western Mexico and into warmer waters with less wind shear over the weekend of Oct. 26-27, where it strengthened into a hurricane again. NASA's Aqua satellite ...

NASA catches glimpse of the brief life of Southern Indian Ocean's first tropical cyclone

2013-10-29
NASA catches glimpse of the brief life of Southern Indian Ocean's first tropical cyclone The first tropical cyclone of the Southern Indian Ocean season lasted about one day. Tropical Cyclone 01S was born on Oct. 27 and by Oct. 28 had become a remnant low. The ...

Neutrons, electrons and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves

2013-10-29
Neutrons, electrons and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves Gas and oil deposits in shale have no place to hide from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technique that provides an inside look at pores and reveals structural information potentially vital ...

The people's choice: Americans would pay to help monarch butterflies

2013-10-29
The people's choice: Americans would pay to help monarch butterflies Americans place high value on butterfly royalty. A recent study suggests they are willing to support monarch butterfly conservation at high levels, up to about 6 ½ billion dollars if extrapolated ...

UCSB researcher documents the enduring contaminant legacy of the California gold rush

2013-10-29
UCSB researcher documents the enduring contaminant legacy of the California gold rush (Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– An unintended legacy of California's gold rush, which began in 1848, endures today in the form of mercury-laden sediment. New research ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

[Press-News.org] Snakes on the brain: Are primates hard-wired to see snakes?