【175】Making Faces is Fun for Sun Bears
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Making Faces is Fun for Sun Bears
April 02, 2019
Somnang, a Malayan sun bear, sticks his tongue out as he sits in its enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland July 7, 2010. REUTERS/David Moir/File Photo
Sun bears are the smallest of the world’s eight bear species. They usually live alone and are happy to spend most of their time by themselves when not looking for a mate. They spend their days in search of fruit, nuts, birds and insects in Southeast Asia’s tropical forests.
Although sun bears mostly live alone, scientists recently discovered they have developed a surprising social skill. They mimic, or copy, other bears’ facial expressions as a form of communication.
Researchers studied 22 sun bears during natural social play at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Malaysia. The bears live in outdoor forest cages big enough to let the animals decide whether to play together or stay away from each other most of the day.
The bears mimicked not only the kind of expression, but also exact muscular movements the other bear made –such as raising or wrinkling their noses.
The ability to mimic facial expressions is found in humans, gorillas, orangutans, some monkeys and even domesticated dogs. But until now, only humans and gorillas showed the ability to exactly copy complex faces.
The study found that sun bears, however, are just as good at facial mimicry as humans and gorillas. This surprised researchers; not only are sun bears usuallysolitary, they also are not closely related to humans.
Derry Taylor is a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Portsmouth in England. He is one of the writers of the study, which was published in Scientific Reports.
Taylor said, “It seems that some forms of communication are much more widely shared amongst mammalian species than we previously thought.”
Sun bears have a black coat and a white or golden color on their mid-section. They live in trees and eat both plants and animals. They can grow to be up to 1.4 meters in height and 65 kilograms in weight.
Although they live alone in the wild, the bears in the study often played gently with each other. Sometimes they played with faster actions and behaviors such as hitting and biting.
It remains uncertain what messages the bears were sending to one another. But the facial copying might be a signal that they are ready to move from gentle to rougher play, Taylor suggested.
I’m Jill Robbins.
Will Dunham reported on this story for Reuters. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
Have you ever noticed your dog or other pet copying facial expressions? How about other animals you see? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
_____________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
mimic – v. to copy (someone or someone's behavior or speech)
wrinkle v. to cause (something) to develop wrinkles
domesticate – v. to breed or train (an animal) to need and accept the care of human beings
solitary – adj. tending to live or spend time alone
mammal – n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin
回复 d5 可收听查看所有《科学技术 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 》文章。
往期回顾:
:
【174】Fast Shrinking Greenland Glacier Now Growing Again
【173】Apple Announces New TV Service, Expanded News, Credit Card
【172】Report:在过去的20年里,美国创造了两倍于寒冷的热记录
【171】New Techniques Let Scientists Study Cells
【170】Apple Watch Study Reports Success Identifying Heart Problem
【169】 Warm Waters Caused Many Sea Creatures to Move Far North
【168】NASA's New Rocket Delayed
【166】在互联网30岁的时候,创建者呼吁进行大的改变以使其更好
【163】Electric Cars Get Creative Sounds to Replace Engine Noise
【161】After Scandal, China Proposes New Rules for Gene Editing
【160】Foldable Phones and More: Top Tech at Mobile World Congress
【159】Searching for Clues on Climate Change in Antarctica
【156】New Study: Life in Space Puts Body’s Defenses on Alert
【154-155】地球上最早的移动生物生活在21亿年前&Meet Ai-Da, the Robot Artist
【153】NASA’s Rover Ends Mission after 15 Years
【151-152】城市生活能帮助一些濒危动物吗? & What Is 5G Wireless Technology?
【150】Magnetic North Pole Moving Faster Than Scientists Expected
【147-148】科学家使用无人机研究鲸鱼健康&欧盟召回“严重”隐私风险的儿童智能手表
【138-139】研究人员希望用钠来制造更好的电池&树木森林:新装置告诉科学家气候效应
【132-134】DNA技术帮助识别作物疾病&2018年美国碳排放上升是因为工业,燃料需求&卫星能帮助识别极端贫困吗?
【129】科技Study: Sahara Changed from Wet to Dry Every 20,000 Years
【128】科技: Study: Americans Approve of Gene Editing Only for Health Purposes
【127】科技: World’s Most Popular Dinosaur Gets New Look at...
【126】科技:China Lands Spacecraft on 'Dark' Side of Moon
【125】科技: NASA’s New Horizons Shows Image of Snowman-Like Object
【124】科技:Estonian Government Aims to End Paperwork
【123】科技: US Study: Work in Space Does Not Seem to Shorten...
【122】科技:Big Dinosaur from Italy Got Burial at Sea
【121】科技:Top Technology Stories of 2018
【120】科技:Researchers Ask: What Makes Chickens Happy?
【119】科技:Science 2018: Gene Editing, Private Space Travel Top...
【118】科技:Israeli Company Claims Invention of First ‘Lab Grown’...
【117】科技:China Exploring the Many Benefits of Cockroaches
【116】科技:Worrisome Warming of North, South Poles
【115】科技: AI for Fun: Machine Learning Makes Caricature Faces
【114】科技: Can Artificial Intelligence Make Doctors Better?
【113】科技: Mysterious Organism Threatens Huge, Mediterranean Clam
【112】科技:First US Face Recognition Terminal Opens at Atlanta...
【111】科技:Portugal Mourns Fish's Escape to Cooler Waters
【110】科技:US Spacecraft Reaches Bennu Asteroid
【109】科技: Why Is Gene Editing in Dispute?
【105】科技: Chinese Scientist Claims First Gene Edited Babies
【104】科技:US Climate Report Says Weather Disasters Will Get Worse
【103】科技: Farm Animals May Soon Get New Qualities With...
【102】科技:US Space Agency Returns to Mars with InSight Lander
【101】科技: Are Forests an Answer to Carbon Pollution?
【100】科技: Was Life Harder for Neanderthals or Early Humans?
【99】Space Rock Still a Mystery to Scientists
【98】科技: Study: Auto Assist Systems Struggle in Real-World...
【97】Gene-edited Food Will Arrive Soon, But Will People Eat It?
【96】科技:Historic Kilogram Measure to Be Replaced
【95】科技: United Nations Report Says Earth’s Ozone Layer Is...
【94】科技: Rising Seas Force Changes on Historic Farms
【93】科技: Samsung Shows Off New Foldable Phone
【91】科技: Saving Venezuela’s Famous Red Bird by Planting Coffee
【90】科技:Chocolate's Story Older Than Once Thought
【89】科技: Scientists List Four Ways to Capture Carbon, Limit...
【88】科技:Reports: Accused Pittsburgh Killer Put Racist Posts...
【87】科技: China's Melting Glacier Brings Visitors, Adds to...
【86】科技:European, Japanese Spacecraft Begins Seven-Year ...
【85】科技: Google: AI Found Breast Cancer with 99 Percent Accuracy
【84】科技: Researchers Find Bright Side to Some Invasive Species
【83】科技: Australian Scientists Propose a ‘Telescope’ to Look...
【82】科技: Humanoid ‘Pepper’ Appears in Britain’s Parliament
【81】科技:Study: Bees Went Silent During Total Solar Eclipse
【80】科技:Study Says the Brain Remembers Thousands of Faces
【79】科技:Ancient Shipwrecks Tell Story of Trade Routes
【78】科技:Google Launches New Phones, Tablet, Home Hub
【77】科技:Scientists Warn of Disastrous Global Warming in Near...
【76】科技:Scientists Say Many ‘Good’ Insects Are Disappearing
【75】科技: Experimental Treatment Targets Drug-Resistant Bacteria
【74】科技:Have We Found the First Moon outside the Solar System?
【73】科技: Study Confirms Unusual Fossils Came from an Animal
【72】科技:Scientists Create ‘Social Network’ of Brains to Share...
【71】科技:Study: Warming Waters to Cause More Major Hurricanes
【70】科技 Japan Deploys Jumping Robots on Distant Asteroid
【69】科技:Facebook Birthday Feature Lets Users Raise Money for...
【68】科技:Virtual Reality: Digital Treatment for Real Pain
【67】科技 World’s First Hydrogen Trains Launch in Germany
【66】科技:Amazon Reaches for the Stars
【65】科技:Huge Device Aims to Capture Pacific Ocean’s Plastic...
【64】科技 Three New Fish Species Found in Pacific Ocean
【63】科技:Apple Launches New iPhones, New Health Features for Watch
【62】科技:Scientists Explore How Cannabis May Fight Psychosis
【61】科技South Korean ‘Smart Farm’ Built Inside Former Road Tunnel
【60】科技 Cooling, Drying Climate May Have Led to Neanderthal...
【59】科技:Underwater Robot to Hunt Lionfish to Help Protect ...
【58】科技:Scientists Say Hotter Weather Worsens Wildfire in...
【57】科技: Dogs Trained to Find Endangered Animals
【56】科技: Newly Discovered Bones Show Genetic Mix of Ancient...
【55】科技 Facebook Now Rates Users on Trustworthiness
【54】科技Summer Program Teaches Young Women Science, Outdoor Skills
【53】科技: Tunnels in Gemstone Might Be Sign of Life
【52】科技: Report: Google Still Tracks You Even with Location...
【51】 Birds Learn Each Other’s ‘Languages’ by Listening, ...
【50】科技 Study: Warmer Soil Releasing More Carbon
【49】科技:NASA Spacecraft to Study the Sun Up Close
【48】科技: Scientists Say Genetically Modified Rice Can Prevent HIV
【47】Software Teaches Robot Hand How to Move in the Real World
【46】Scientists Come Closer to Creating Laboratory Embryos
【45】How Blockchain Technology Is Used to Get Past Chinese...
【44】科技: Dry Conditions Threaten Wild Horses in Western US
【43】科技: Water Is Buried Beneath Mars’ Surface, Study Says
【42】科技:Can Facial Recognition Help Prevent School Shootings?
【41】 科学家们研究飓风的眼睛来预测飓风的强度Scientists Study Eyes of Hurricanes...
【40】科技: Activist Wins Right to Publish Instructions for 3D...
【39】科技:Scientists Risk Heat, Gas to Study Hawaii Volcano
【38】科技:Scientists: Spiders Use Electric Fields to Move...
【37】科技:X-Ray Technology Helps Recover Lost 19th-Century Images
【36】科技: Scientists Find Possible Meteorite Pieces in Ocean
【35】科技:Baby Hippo Has Become an Educational Force
【34】科技: Animals at Risk from Increased Arctic Shipping
【33】科技: ‘Deepfake’ Videos: a New Weapon in Disinformation Wars
【32】科技: Researchers: Warming Climate Spreads Dangerous Algae
【31】科技: Artificial Intelligence Used to Track World's Wildlife
【30】科技: Japanese Spacecraft Arrives at Asteroid to Study Surface
【29】科技: First Ever Live Computer-Human Debate: Who Won?
【28】科技: ‘Citizen Scientists’ Seek Solutions to Bumblebee’s...
【27】科技: Greenpeace: Plastic, Chemical Pollution Widespread...
*【26】科技: Google Bans Its AI Technology for Weapons Work
【25】科技:Developments in Exoskeleton Technology Could Help Some..
【24】科技:Changing Climate Threatens Habitat on Assateague Island
【23】科技: Scientists Identify Genes Behind Humans' Big Brains
【22】科技: On Mars, NASA Finds ‘Organic’ Substances Linked to Life
【21】科技: Dinosaur Skeleton of Possible New Species Sells for...
【20】科技: U.S. Teens Dropping Facebook for YouTube, Instagram...
【19】科技:‘Alien Asteroid’ Could Be Oldest Object in Our Solar...
【18】科技:Study: Planet-Warming Gasses Make Food Less Nutritious
【17】科技:Pill Combines Biology, Electronics to Recognize Diseases
【16】科技: Study: Humans Know How to Throw Their Weight Around
【15】科技: Smart Farm Equipment to Greatly Reduce Use of Chemicals
【14】科技: Jupiter’s Moon Europa May Be Top Candidate for Life
【13】科技: Electrified Road Can Charge Moving Vehicle
【12】科技:Marijuana Growers Turn to Hemp to Fight Oversupply
【11】科技: Scientists Change Biology with Technology
【10】科技:Scientists: Ozone-Eating Chemical Mysteriously Rising
【9】科技:California to Require Solar Power for New Homes
【8】科技: US Army Doctors 'Grows' Ear on Soldier's Arm
【7】科技Storms, Nature Uncover Bones on New York’s Island of the...
【6】科技: Top 10 New Google Features Announced at I/O 2018
【5】科技: Antibiotic Resistance Spreads Quickly from Animals to...
【4】科技:Scientists Observe Birth of Huge Galaxy Cluster 1 hour ago
【3】科技: Facebook Adds Dating App, Launches Oculus Go
【2】科技New NASA Mars Mission Will Study Deep Under Planet’s Surface
【1】科技: Facebook Adds Dating App, Launches Oculus Go
voa 科学技术:Ancient Finger Bone Found in Saudi Arabia is 90,000 ...
voa 科学技术: Organization Urges Young African Scientists to...
voa 科学技术: New Technology Harvests Energy from River and Tidal..
voa 科学技术: Robots Bring Change to Construction Industry
voa 科学技术: Daylight Turns Thin Plastic Barrier into ...
voa 科学技术: Lawmakers Demand Privacy Protection, Raise ...
voa 科学技术: Researchers: Many Black Holes in Center of Milky ...
VOA文化艺术: Hollywood Thriller ‘Unsane’ Filmed Totally on iPhone
voa 科学技术: US Space Agency Expands Search for Distant Planets ...
voa 科学技术: Robots Not Ready to Take Over
New Facebook Tool Provides Information About News Publishers
NASA's Juno Spacecraft Shows the Makeup of Jupiter
voa 科学技术:Scientists: Early Humans Were Not as Simple as One ...
还没听够看够?关注本公众号(漂泊者乐园微信公众号),定期收听收查看各种精彩内容。跑步入场还不晚哦。
(学习交流微信:littleflute)
提示:
1. 回复 president 可收听查看所有《美国总统》文章。
2. 回复 park 可收听查看所有《美国国家公园》文章。
3. 回复 zjmgyy 可收听查看所有《中级美国英语》文章。
4. 回复 bztl 可收听查看所有 《VOA标准听力》。
您好!既然漂到这里,就顺便把本文转到朋友圈吧!