Why Are Some Snakes More Terrifying and What Is Behind the Fear? DOI Creative Commons
Daniel Frynta, Markéta Janovcová, Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi

et al.

Animals, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(5), P. 731 - 731

Published: March 4, 2025

Snakes are stimuli inducing an ancestral fear response in humans and other primates. Certain snakes evoke more subjective than others. True vipers high-fear-eliciting for both African European respondents. This can be explained by the evolutionary experience of human ancestors Africa. The question arises as to how living Americas Australia, with which have no experience, will evaluated. While these belong broader taxonomic groups that distant relatives Old World, they evolved independently tens millions years. We prepared a set 32 pictures depicting eight American pit vipers, Australian elapids, constrictors, colubrids asked respondents rank according evoke. Here, we show high cross-cultural agreement between evaluations characterized robust body shape, such death adders, pythons, boas, were most fear-evoking. width was strongest predictor evoked fear. contribution coloration pattern stimulus not proved. supports view patterns dependent on direct but its underlying mechanisms shared cross-culturally.

Language: Английский

Why Are Some Snakes More Terrifying and What Is Behind the Fear? DOI Creative Commons
Daniel Frynta, Markéta Janovcová, Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi

et al.

Animals, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(5), P. 731 - 731

Published: March 4, 2025

Snakes are stimuli inducing an ancestral fear response in humans and other primates. Certain snakes evoke more subjective than others. True vipers high-fear-eliciting for both African European respondents. This can be explained by the evolutionary experience of human ancestors Africa. The question arises as to how living Americas Australia, with which have no experience, will evaluated. While these belong broader taxonomic groups that distant relatives Old World, they evolved independently tens millions years. We prepared a set 32 pictures depicting eight American pit vipers, Australian elapids, constrictors, colubrids asked respondents rank according evoke. Here, we show high cross-cultural agreement between evaluations characterized robust body shape, such death adders, pythons, boas, were most fear-evoking. width was strongest predictor evoked fear. contribution coloration pattern stimulus not proved. supports view patterns dependent on direct but its underlying mechanisms shared cross-culturally.

Language: Английский

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