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Reflections

2022/11/15
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BBC Earth Podcast

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Yossi Yovel
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Rutendo Shackleton和Sebastian Echeverri讨论了狮子对镜子的反应,发现不同年龄和性别的狮子反应不同,这反映了它们对陌生个体的应对策略。年幼的狮子表现出谨慎,成年雄狮则充满攻击性,而年长的狮子较为放松。这表明镜子测试不仅能评估动物的自我认知,也能揭示其社会行为和应对机制。 Alison Sweeney介绍了斧头鱼利用其独特的皮肤结构和发光器官来躲避捕食者。斧头鱼的皮肤包含类似光纤的结构,可以引导光线,并结合其腹部发光器官,巧妙地模拟周围环境的光线,从而实现隐身效果。这种适应性策略是动物在生存竞争中对光线反射的巧妙利用。 Yossi Yovel的研究则关注蝙蝠的回声定位导航能力。实验表明,蝙蝠天生就了解声速,而不是通过经验学习。改变环境中的声速(例如通过添加氦气)会影响蝙蝠的导航精度,这说明蝙蝠的导航机制依赖于对声速的先天认知。 最后,Rutendo Shackleton和Sebastian Echeverri讨论了动物的拟态现象,特别是声音拟态,例如琴鸟可以模仿各种声音。这体现了动物对环境的适应性和信息传递能力,也是动物利用反射(声音反射)的一种方式。

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Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri discuss a mirror test experiment conducted on lions in Zimbabwe. The reactions varied among lions, with younger ones showing uncertainty, large males exhibiting aggression, and older ones demonstrating a more relaxed response. The experiment provided insight into how lions react to unfamiliar entities.
  • Mirror test experiment on lions
  • Varied reactions based on age and temperament
  • Insight into lion behavior towards strangers

Shownotes Transcript

Light and reflection are crucial across the animal kingdom, and sometimes they interact in strange and surprising ways.

Rutendo tells Sebastian about the time she carried out a classic experiment, the mirror test, with lions, during her PhD. Some lions made friends with the mirrors, while others pursued less wholesome activities...

The hatchet fish has evolved a fascinating means of hiding itself from predators, especially those searching out their prey with giant bioluminescent headlights. Biologist Alison Sweeney explains how the fish is able to disappear almost completely, using a combination of mirror-like scales and cells that act like fibre-optic cables on its belly.

Yossi Yovel invites us into his “bat lab for neuro-ecology” in Tel Aviv, where he carries out (harmless) experiments with helium to see how a changed atmosphere can dramatically impact a bat’s ability to navigate using echolocation.

And we find ourselves immersed in the bizarre sound-world of the lyrebird, which can perfectly mimic everything from car alarms to the calls of up to 25 other species of bird.

Credits:

The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton.

This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh.

The researcher was Seb Masters.

The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton.

Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews.

The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to:

Alison Sweeney from Yale University for sharing her research on hatchetfish.

Yossi Yovel from Tel Aviv University for his interview about bat senses.

Marc Anderson for supplying the lyrebird soundscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy) for more information.