A team of scientists from the United States and Japan has discovered that roundworms of the nematode species Caenorhabditis elegans, which are brainless and have a primitive nervous system, can experience basic emotions such as fear. To work published In the scientific journal Genetics.
Experts studied the invertebrate’s response to a sharp electric shock. Taking in the current, the nematode began to run away, exhibiting a behavior very similar to fear. According to experts, the duration and severity of the worm’s negative state is most likely regulated by a special neural circuit, and not by direct stimulation of the motor system using electricity.
According to scientists, an animal’s response to a stimulus is considered emotional if it meets four criteria: It must persist after the stimulus is removed, it must increase or decrease in strength depending on the strength of the stimulus, it must dominate other responses, and it must be appropriate to the type of stimulus.
After looking at the nematode’s shock behavior, the researchers concluded that it met at least three of the four criteria for emotional response.
The length of time the nematode was “scared” varied depending on the duration of exposure to electric current. In this case, the creatures ignored the food, leading to the conclusion that the negative situation suppressed the positive stimuli.
“Because neuropeptide signaling is needed [у червей] Fear-like brain states may be regulated by evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanisms, reminiscent of the neuropeptide regulation of fear in mammals, including humans, the study authors noted.
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Source: Gazeta
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