突破性发现！熊蜂也会“同甘共苦”

Core Insights - The research conducted by a team from Southern Medical University reveals that bumblebees can exhibit "positive emotional contagion," demonstrating behaviors such as faster reactions and more optimistic decision-making when observing rewarded peers [3][4][6]. Research Findings - The study published in the journal Science challenges the traditional view that emotional contagion is exclusive to higher animals, suggesting that even invertebrates like bumblebees possess this ability [3][4]. - The research utilized a "cognitive bias" experimental paradigm, where bumblebees were trained to associate specific flower colors with rewards, allowing the team to measure emotional states based on their exploration speed and choice tendencies [4][6]. - Bumblebees that interacted with "happy" peers showed a significant increase in optimistic choices and faster response times during subsequent tests, indicating that emotional states can be transmitted through visual observation alone, without physical or chemical signals [6][7]. Historical Context - The exploration of emotional contagion in bumblebees began in 2016 when initial observations indicated that bumblebees displayed behaviors akin to "positive emotions" after receiving unexpected rewards [8][10]. - The research progressed through various experiments, culminating in the discovery of visual cues as the primary means of emotional transmission among bumblebees [10]. Practical Applications - The findings have led to the development of "bumblebee directed pollination technology," which has been successfully implemented in various agricultural settings in Guangdong, enhancing crop yields by 20% to 30% through trained bumblebees [15][17]. - This technology not only addresses challenges in manual pollination but also bridges the gap between fundamental research and practical agricultural applications, showcasing the potential of bumblebee cognition in improving farming practices [15][17].