南方医科大学原创科研成果登上Science封面

Core Insights - The research conducted by the team led by Professor Peng Fei from Southern Medical University demonstrates that bumblebees exhibit positive emotional contagion, a phenomenon previously thought to be exclusive to higher animals [1][3][6] - This groundbreaking study, published in the journal Science, challenges traditional views on the social cognitive abilities of invertebrates and provides new directions for exploring the origins of emotions and social behavior in evolutionary biology [1][3] Research Findings - The study utilized a "cognitive bias" experimental paradigm to investigate emotional contagion in bumblebees, revealing that bumblebees can become more optimistic after interacting with a happy companion [3][6] - Bumblebees trained to associate specific colors with rewards showed increased exploration and faster decision-making when exposed to ambiguous signals after interacting with rewarded peers [4][6] - The research indicates that bumblebees can perceive the emotional states of their companions through visual observation, without the need for physical contact or chemical signals [6][7] Implications for Science and Industry - The findings provide insights into the information processing mechanisms of bumblebees' micro-brains, suggesting potential applications in understanding intelligence, emotions, and behavior in neuroscience and artificial intelligence [7] - The research has practical applications, leading to the development of "bumblebee-directed pollination technology," which enhances pollination efficiency and crop yield by training bumblebees to recognize target flowers [7][9] - In pilot projects, trained bumblebees have increased the average yield of local fruit crops by 20%-30%, addressing labor cost issues in pollination [9]