海獭的爪可以敏锐感知猎物

海獭的爪可以敏锐感知猎物 0:44
最新发布时间: 2018-12-05
分享到:

 The marine mammals have extraordinarily sensitive touch—which helps them nab prey in the absence of other sensory cues. Christopher Intagliata reports.

海洋哺乳动物有着非常灵敏的触觉,可以在没有其他感线索的情况下捕捉猎物。克里斯托弗·因塔利亚塔报道。

撰文播音:克里斯托弗·因塔利亚塔(Christopher Intagliata

翻译:邱燕宁

审校:郭晓

Sea otters are pretty petite compared to other marine mammals. Which means that, despite their fur coats, they tend to lose heat quickly, and need lots of energy to stay warm.

海獭比其他海洋哺乳动物都要娇小。这意味着尽管它们穿着毛皮大衣,但它们往往会很快失去热量,需要大量的能量来保暖。

"So they need to eat 25 percent of their body weight each day." Sarah McKay Strobel, a sensory ecologist at U.C. Santa Cruz. "But in order to eat that much food, that means sea otters need to find all that food. And that's where we come in."

所以们每天需要进食自己体重25%的食物,加州大学圣克鲁斯分校的感生态学家Sarah McKay Strobel如是说但是为了吃那么多的食物,海獭首先需要找到这些食物。这就是我们的切入点。

She and her team studied the otter's senses, to solve the mystery of how they're such efficient foragers. Vision isn't reliable, she says—it's pretty dark and murky underwater, and crabs and clams tend to hide. Hearing is also tough for otters, in the noisy underwater environment. And sniffing's no good either. "When they're underwater they're holding their breath." 

她和她的团队研究海獭的感官,以解开海獭为何如此高效觅食的谜团。她说,视力是不可靠的——水下环境很暗,螃蟹和蛤蜊往往会藏起来。在嘈杂的水下环境中,海獭也很难依靠依靠嗅觉也不当它们在水下时,它们会屏住呼吸。

What's left is touch. So Stroble and her team measured the sensitivity of the otters' paws and whiskers. They blindfolded an otter named Selka, then presented her with plastic plates engraved with tiny grooves, like corduroy. Selka's job was to select the plate with two-millimeter grooves, which she'd been trained to associate with tasty shrimp, instead of plates with differently sized grooves.

剩下的感觉是触。于是,Stroble和她的团队测量了水獭爪子和胡须的敏感度。他们把一只名叫Selka的水獭的眼睛蒙上,然后给她一块刻有像灯芯绒一样细纹的塑料盘子。他们训练Selka带有两毫米凹槽的盘子与美味的虾相关联,然后让她出这种盘子,而不是带有不同大小凹槽的盘子。

Turns out, Selka could perceive just a quarter millimeter difference in the grooves' width with her paws—above and below water—and half a millimeter difference with her whiskers. "The fact she was able to perform so well while moving incredibly quickly I think is really interesting and suggests that sea otters have very quick decision making abilities, and very quick sensory processing abilities, which makes sense when you think about the type of lifestyle they lead and how quickly they need to find food."

事实证明,Selka能够用她的爪子——在水面上和水下——察觉到沟槽宽度仅仅0.25毫米的差异,而用她的胡须能察觉到半毫米的差异。事实上,能够把任务执行得又好又迅速,我觉得这很有趣,这说明海獭具有快速决策能力以及快速感觉处理能力。考虑到它们的生活方式以及寻找食物所需要的速度,这是非常合理的。

The full details—and a cute photo of Selka—are in the Journal of Experimental Biology. [Sarah McKay Strobel et al., Active touch in sea otters: in-air and underwater texture discrimination thresholds and behavioral strategies for paws and vibrissae]

整的研究细节——以及Selka的一张可爱的照片——刊登在《实验生物学杂志》Journal of Experimental Biology上。

For the record, humans can feel the difference too, but it takes us 30 times longer. Which might make sense. After all, we evolved in environments where touch was less important in a hunt than were sight and sound.

需要说明的是,人类也能感受到这种差异,但需要30倍的时间。这可能是有道理的。毕竟,在我们进化的环境中,触觉在狩猎中并不如视觉和听觉重要。

专辑里的声音
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/WorldLargestOrganismFaces.mp3世上最大有机体与它变秃的未来
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/Solareclipsebooste.mp32017年的日全食激发了大众的科学热情
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/WildSongbirdsTunes.mp3野生鸣禽能学习新曲调
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SmartMetersSpeedShowers.mp3智能电表助人缩短洗澡时间
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/RainsMicrobialMassacre.mp3降雨屠杀了智利沙漠里的微生物
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/USImmigrantsLeaveCountry.mp3把微生物留在了祖国的美国移民
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SocialConstructRace.mp3种族的社会概念是有生物学影响的
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ConsensualHugsStress.mp3两厢情愿的拥抱可以缓解压力
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/DolphinsDumbDown.mp3海豚简化语言以适应船舶噪音
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/marsmissioncleanlanding.mp3洞察号成功登陆火星
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BabiesChimpsShareLaugh.mp3婴儿和黑猩猩一样笑
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BetterDataBetterDating.mp3信息帮助约会
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SolarEclipseBuzzkill.mp3日全食让蜜蜂沉默
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PandasSwoon.mp3痴情的大熊猫会发出特定叫声
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/NicePeopleEmptierWallets.mp3拒绝当“好好先生”,否则你可能“口袋空空”!
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/FirstBenefitKnowingGenome.mp3了解自身基因组信息的最大好处
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HalloweenChocolateMidge.mp3为可可树授粉的小飞虫
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/AsocialOctopusesMDMA.mp3章鱼对摇头丸的反应与人类类似
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/EconomicsNobelClimateAction.mp3诺贝尔经济学奖强调气候行动的必要性
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/AncientClanWar.mp3古代宗族斗争可解释基因多样性骤减
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/NobelHelpingImmune.mp3帮助免疫系统对抗癌症获诺贝尔奖
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/NobelLaserLight.mp3诺贝尔物理学奖颁给了控制激光技术
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/RobotBartender.mp3机器人招待将会为你点单
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/DiverseTreePortfolio.mp3多元树种组合抗干旱效果更佳
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HealthCareNeandertals.mp3医疗保健让尼安德特人发挥出捕食者的能力
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/AntifreezeFightsIce.mp3以冰制冰的防冻剂
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SpringArrivesEarlier.mp3提前入春,北极鹅加速迁移
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ConfidentTone.mp3自信的语调可以克服口音带来的不信任感
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SurveyWildlifeIndoors.mp3调查“家中”的野生动物
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/NeutronStarsCollide.mp3当中子星发生碰撞
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ScienceNewsMissed.mp3那些你可能错过的科学新闻
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ScanningAncientCivilizations.mp3从空中俯瞰古代文明
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PineappleWaste.mp3海獭的爪可以敏锐感知猎物
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ScaleMeasureMedicine.mp3量具可以衡量药品,还能弹奏音阶
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/RisingCO2MonarchButterfly.mp3二氧化碳上升加重帝王蝶“胃痛”
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PiratesNeededScience.mp3海盗也要学科学
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PastaProblemCracked.mp3意面问题破解了
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/MicrobesMetroCommute.mp3早晨微生物与你乘地铁同行
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PineappleWaste.mp3不再让菠萝渣成为垃圾
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HurricaneNaturalSelection.mp3飓风:一个自然选择的实验
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/GeneticTweakLegUp.mp3基因突变让早期人类获得了优势
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/FreeloadingAnts.mp3旁观的蚂蚁也能帮助工作流程
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/EarlierSpringsMigrat.mp3提前到来的春天可能意味着鸟类错误时间的迁徙
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/AncientAmericansScarletMacaws.mp3古代美洲人养殖具有重要象征意义的猩红色金刚鹦鹉
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/CornGrabsFertilizer.mp3一种玉米品种从空中捕捉肥料
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BonnetheadSharks.mp3窄头双髻鲨是水下割草机
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180102NewYear.mp3你的太空步数总计:五亿八千万米
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180110Exoplanets.mp3你生活在一个奇怪的太阳系
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/TurnWallTouchScreen.mp3一起把墙改造成实用触摸屏
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ToEvolveBaleen.mp3想要进化成须鲸,先脱落你的牙齿
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171220LoudFish.mp3发出破坏性声音的鱼
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171208CoquiFrogs.mp3入侵蛙不会影响夏威夷的鸟类
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171212DietaryGuidelines.mp3营养指南对地球也有利
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171223RainPain.mp3疼痛和天气并不相关
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SeaLevelRiseInternet.mp3海平面上升将导致互联网崩溃
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171213DolphinClicks.mp3海豚能用回声定位
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SomeCrowsCompanions.mp3有些乌鸦会“勾引”已故的同类
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171214SupermarketSnacks.mp3试吃,也是种营销手段
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180109GlowStickScience.mp3发光棒帮助生态学家研究两栖动物
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171222SolarSites.mp3为太阳能板找到更多安置点
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171229FinchSinging.mp3雀类歌唱,并非仅由基因决定
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171215DarkFiber.mp3暗光纤网络有助于勘测地震活动
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171228BatDialects.mp3蝙蝠宝宝可以学习不同的方言
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BirdsLearnSafety.mp3鸟类共享预警信号
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180103SpaceCommand.mp3限制太空发展的三大问题
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/171209WomensArms.mp3史前女人的坚实臂膀
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SharksSplashBrooklyn.mp3鲨鱼在布鲁克林引起轰动
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PrimateConflictsPlayOut.mp3在手术室模拟灵长类动物中的冲突
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PrezIssuesCall.mp3美国医学协会主席倡议将科学与武器结合
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PeopleRationRoam.mp3大多数人一生只会常去25个地方
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/MouthSetsHealing.mp3口腔修复新标准
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/JupiterMoonHits.mp3木星的卫星总数达到79颗
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/GreatApeDoc.mp3“好大夫”大猩猩
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BorderWallDisruptSpecies.mp3边界墙可破坏百余物种
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/CityLifeInvertebrates.mp3小型无脊椎动物更适应城市生活
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/AstronomyToolSharks.mp3天文学工具可以帮助确定鲨鱼身份
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PowderPullsDrinkingWater.mp3能从沙漠空气中提取饮用水的粉末
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/JupiterCracklesPolarLightning.mp3极地闪电,木星轰鸣
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PinnipedsDontAppreciate.mp3鳍足动物不喜欢被人类打扰
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/PianoLessonsTuneUp.mp3钢琴课有助提高语言技能
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/JupiterandVenusSqueeze.mp3木星和金星挤压地球轨道
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HuntingRulesChanged.mp3狩猎规定改变了熊妈妈的育幼行为
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/IfSingingTough.mp3唱得艰难?不如吹得轻巧
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HippoDungFoulsUp.mp3河马粪便污染淡水渔业
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/HumansSizeOneAnother.mp3欲辨身形,可听嘶吼
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/DocsYANovelTreats.mp3医生笔下的青春小说触及生死问题
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/GoogleAIAssistant.mp3让谷歌人工智能助手完成你的“讲话任务”
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/CoralReefsKeepCostly.mp3防护海湾“昂贵”海浪的珊瑚礁
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ComputersPredictPopChart.mp3电脑成功预测流行歌曲排行榜
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ComputersGoHeadtoHead.mp3计算机在人脸识别上与人类抗衡
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BirdSongImpliesCulture.mp3红雀规则:雌鸟也会唱歌
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/BirdSongImpliesCulture.mp3鸟类叫声中的文化传承
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180321IgnitingFlu.mp3阿拉斯加白鲸在听力测试中表现优秀
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/ALitmusTestBadBreath.mp3便携式设备检测口臭
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180321IgnitingFlu.mp3美国流感的传播依赖美国南方的寒流
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/UnderseaRecordingsRevealWhale.mp3水下录音展示一头鲸的故事
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/SomeTreesBeatHeat.mp3一些树木通过流汗来对抗炎热
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/180413BetterInternet.mp3亟待调整的互联网
https://cdstm-resources-bucket.oss.cn-north-4.inspurcloudoss.com/h5/mp3/RadarScansNorthKoreanNukes.mp3雷达扫描朝鲜核武器的详细信息
查看更多
猜你喜欢