Even physicists disagree when it comes to explaining what time is. But there is a consensus in accepting Einstein’s theory of relativity, which says: time is relative. Scientific research has revealed that Different species, including humans, perceive time—or rather, its passage—in very different ways.. The result is that The animals that sense time faster are the smallest, those that can fly or sea predators..
All animals, including humans, sense the passage of time, thanks to their characteristics. internal biological clockand everyone acts accordingly. biological rhythms. The ‘clock’ is in the hypothalamus, particularly in the pineal gland and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and is set by external parameters such as sunlight, temperature, seasons, moon phases…
This internal ‘clock’ drives behavior such as courtship, hibernation, migration… And according to scientists, also found in plants, fungi, yeast, and bacteria.
The largest time perception study to date has analyzed the rate at which samples of more than 100 animal species detect changes in the world. temporary perception.
The researchers found that animals with fast-paced lifestyles have visual systems that can detect changes at a higher rate.
An example: species such as flies (Calliphoridae sp.) or dragonflies (Anisoptera sp.) can detect changes at very high speedIt has sight that can process 300 hertz (it can detect changes 300 times per second). Time passes more slowly for them.. Its perception is significantly faster than humans, which we can see at 65 hertz.
A flycatcher and a starfish
The fastest eyes in vertebrates belong to the pied flycatcher. (ficedula hypoleuca), a songbird that can see at 146 hertz. Salmon (salaried psalm) translated at 96 hertz and dogs (familiar canis) at 75 hertz.
“Having fast vision helps a species sense rapid changes in the environment. If the animal is moving fast or you need to identify the path of moving prey, detailed detection of changes is very useful,” explains Kevin Healy of the University of Galway. . , in Ireland, and one of the study’s authors.
The slowest eyes observed by scientists belong to the crown of thorns starfish. (acanthaster planner) seeing only 0.7 hertz, as revealed by the British Ecological Society. Time passes so quickly for this species. Of course, their average lifespan is 16 years.
“When we look at a wide range of animals, from dragonflies to starfish, our findings show that: A species’ perception of time has to do with how quickly its environment can change.Healy says.
“This can help our understanding. predator-prey interactions even aspects like how Light pollution It can affect some species more than others,” he adds.
One of the unexpected findings of the study is that Many land predators have a relatively slow perception of time compared to aquatic predators..
The study authors believe this difference is due to the fact that in aquatic environments predators can constantly adjust their position when they jump on prey, “whereas in terrestrial environments, jumping spiders swoop down on predators (Salticidae sp.), they can’t adjust after starting”.
Status of football goalkeepers
Fast time perception is energetically expensive and how quickly neurons connected to retinal cells in the eye can recharge. “Therefore, species that do not require quick vision use this energy for other requirements such as growth or reproduction,” the researchers wrote.
They are the most agile animals, those that have to move very quickly to avoid predators or to catch fast prey. Ability to process visual signals at high speed. they tend to be small animals with very fast metabolismsso time seems to pass more slowly for them.
However, the variation in time perception also differs between samples of the same species. For example, Some studies suggest that football goalkeepers see changes at a higher rate than their fieldmates.and coffee can temporarily increase this ratio, albeit on a small scale.
How was perception of time measured in different species? Based on dozens of previous studies that used flashing lights to measure the animals’ response.
When the light is turned on, the rate at which the optic nerve sends information to the brain is recorded using special devices called electroretinograms, which scientists call ‘frequency’, which measures how quickly each animal detects a flash of light. ‘flashing fusion review’.
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Contact address of the environment department: crizclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.