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Humans Wired to Fear Snakes

Scientists find innate ability to discern slithering critters in the wild

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 5, 2008 4:42 PM CST
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(Newser) – Evolution seems to have given humans a hard-wired ability to recognize snakes and spiders, LiveScience reports. Intrigued by the widespread fear of serpents despite the fact that most humans rarely interact with them, researchers showed groups of adults and 3-year-olds natural scenes containing various hidden animals. Both groups were consistently able to find snakes and spiders faster than other animals.

Coupled with the enhanced ability to discern snakes, young children also have a predisposition to learn to fear snakes if they encounter them or even see scary portrayals of them on TV. "Throughout evolutionary history, humans who detected the presence of snakes very quickly would have been more likely to pass on their genes," one researcher said.

A 14-foot Burmese Python weighing between 75 and 85 pounds climbs a wall of it's cage, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, in the exhibit Lizards & Snakes
A 14-foot Burmese Python weighing between 75 and 85 pounds climbs a wall of it's cage, Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, in the exhibit "Lizards & Snakes   (Associated Press)
A male green tree python, is seen as it lays on a perch in an enclosure in Signal Mountain, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Gilliland)
A male green tree python, is seen as it lays on a perch in an enclosure in Signal Mountain, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Gilliland)   (Associated Press)
A male green tree python, which is one of more than 350 snakes owned by Rico Walder, is seen as it lays wrapped on a perch in Signal Mountain, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008. In nature, the green tree python is, mostly, green. But its spots and patterns of yellow,...
A male green tree python, which is one of more than 350 snakes owned by Rico Walder, is seen as it lays wrapped on a perch in Signal Mountain, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008. In nature, the green tree...   (Associated Press)
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Abstract of original article in Psychological Science
Review of Agricultural Economics

Innate phobia may be behind snake's dreaded place in literature
Science Daily

 
snakes • genes • human evolution • fear • spiders • phobias • natural selection • psychological research • fear of spiders

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