Study: Empathy May Have Ancient Roots
2023-04-10
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1A new study suggests that our ability to share other's feelings, also called empathy, may have very ancient beginnings.
2The study, published recently in Science, says our ability to share experiences might have existed in animals that lived millions of years ago.
3It would be before fish and mammals took different evolutionary paths.
4Scientists generally resist assigning humanlike feelings to animals.
5But it is generally accepted that many animals have emotions, including fish.
6The new study shows that fish can sense fear in other fish, and then become afraid themselves.
7This ability, the study says, is controlled by oxytocin, the same brain chemical that plays a part in human's ability to experience empathy.
8The researchers investigated by deleting genes linked to the production and absorption of oxytocin in the brains of zebrafish.
9The small tropical fish is often used in research.
10The fish became antisocial after the treatment.
11They failed to sense or react when other fish showed worry.
12After some of the changed zebrafish received oxytocin injections, their ability to sense and react to others' feelings returned.
13Scientists call the brain process "emotional contagion."
14Ibukun Akinrinade of the University of Calgary was a co-writer of the study.
15Akinrinade said about the fish, "They respond to other individuals being frightened."
16In that way, "they behave just like us," she said.
17Past research has shown that oxytocin plays a similar part in transmitting fear in mice.
18The new research shows the " ancestral role" of oxytocin in transmitting emotion, said study co-writer Rui Oliveira of Portugal's Gulbenkian Institute of Science.
19This brain processing "may have already been in place around 450 million years ago, when you and me and these little fish last had a common ancestor," explained Hans Hofmann of the University of Texas at Austin.
20Hofman was not involved in the research.
21Oxytocin is sometimes thought of as a "love" hormone, but Hofmann said it is actually more like "a thermostat that determines what is socially" important in a situation - activating parts of the brain "that may make you run from danger" or take part in mating or reproduction.
22Such a thermostat could be important for the survival of many animals, especially those who live in groups, said Carl Safina of Stony Brook University. Safina was not involved in the study.
23"The most basic form of empathy," he said, "is contagious fear - that's a very valuable thing to have to stay alive...."
24I'm John Russell.
1A new study suggests that our ability to share other's feelings, also called empathy, may have very ancient beginnings. 2The study, published recently in Science, says our ability to share experiences might have existed in animals that lived millions of years ago. It would be before fish and mammals took different evolutionary paths. 3Scientists generally resist assigning humanlike feelings to animals. But it is generally accepted that many animals have emotions, including fish. 4The new study shows that fish can sense fear in other fish, and then become afraid themselves. This ability, the study says, is controlled by oxytocin, the same brain chemical that plays a part in human's ability to experience empathy. 5The researchers investigated by deleting genes linked to the production and absorption of oxytocin in the brains of zebrafish. The small tropical fish is often used in research. 6The fish became antisocial after the treatment. They failed to sense or react when other fish showed worry. 7After some of the changed zebrafish received oxytocin injections, their ability to sense and react to others' feelings returned. Scientists call the brain process "emotional contagion." 8Ibukun Akinrinade of the University of Calgary was a co-writer of the study. Akinrinade said about the fish, "They respond to other individuals being frightened." 9In that way, "they behave just like us," she said. 10Past research has shown that oxytocin plays a similar part in transmitting fear in mice. 11The new research shows the " ancestral role" of oxytocin in transmitting emotion, said study co-writer Rui Oliveira of Portugal's Gulbenkian Institute of Science. 12This brain processing "may have already been in place around 450 million years ago, when you and me and these little fish last had a common ancestor," explained Hans Hofmann of the University of Texas at Austin. Hofman was not involved in the research. 13Oxytocin is sometimes thought of as a "love" hormone, but Hofmann said it is actually more like "a thermostat that determines what is socially" important in a situation - activating parts of the brain "that may make you run from danger" or take part in mating or reproduction. 14Such a thermostat could be important for the survival of many animals, especially those who live in groups, said Carl Safina of Stony Brook University. Safina was not involved in the study. 15"The most basic form of empathy," he said, "is contagious fear - that's a very valuable thing to have to stay alive...." 16I'm John Russell. 17Christina Larson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 18____________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20mammal -- n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin 21evolutionary -- adj. describes the process by which changes in plants and animals happen over time 22absorb - v. to take in (something, such as a liquid) in a natural or gradual way 23respond -- v. to do something as a reaction to something that has happened or been done 24transmit -- v. to give or pass (information, values, etc.) from one person to another 25thermostat - n. a device that automatically adjusts the temperature in a room to a desired level