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{{short description|Evolutionary theory regarding primate vision}}
[[File:Vipera_aspis_aspis.jpg|thumb|alt=Vipera Aspis.|
The '''
According to the theory, predatory pressure on early primate populations from snakes
recognize them, improving their survival chances and therefore transferring such skill to their offspring. From this point of view, snakes were responsible for the modification and expansion of primate visual systems which made [[visual perception|vision]] the most developed sensory interface with the external environment for modern primates.
In her book ''The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent'' (2009),<ref>{{cite
The concept of snakes being a special threat to humans has been confirmed by population
== Empirical studies ==
Many empirical studies have found evidence for the theory.
Some studies have found that humans can detect snake images before subjective visual perception.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ohman|first1=A.|last2=Soares|first2=J. J.|title=On the automatic nature of phobic fear: conditioned electrodermal responses to masked fear-relevant stimuli|journal=Journal of Abnormal Psychology|date=1993|volume=102|issue=1|pages=121–132|pmid=8436688|issn=0021-843X|doi=10.1037/0021-843X.102.1.121}}</ref> However, the pre-conscious detection of snake stimuli is still under debate by the scientific community.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Grassini|first1=Simone|last2=Holm|first2=Suvi K.|last3=Railo|first3=Henry|last4=Koivisto|first4=Mika|title=Who is afraid of the invisible snake? Subjective visual awareness modulates posterior brain activity for evolutionarily threatening stimuli|journal=Biological Psychology|date=1 December 2016|volume=121|issue=Part A|pages=53–61|doi=10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.10.007|pmid=27760371|s2cid=9516831}}</ref>
Regardless, in experiments, images of snakes have been detected more rapidly than other fear-relevant stimuli: empirical studies have shown that snakes are more rapidly detected than [[spiders]].
Snake stimuli are particularly distracting during perceptual tasks, suggesting that the brain preferentially processes snake stimuli, even when attentional processes are demanded by other targets.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Soares|first1=Sandra C.|title=The lurking snake in the grass: interference of snake stimuli in visually taxing conditions|journal=Evolutionary Psychology: An International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior|date=15 April 2012|volume=10|issue=2|pages=187–197|pmid=22947633|issn=1474-7049}}</ref>▼
▲Snake stimuli are particularly distracting during perceptual tasks, suggesting that the brain preferentially processes snake stimuli, even when attentional processes are demanded by other targets.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Soares|first1=Sandra C.|title=The lurking snake in the grass: interference of snake stimuli in visually taxing conditions|journal=Evolutionary Psychology
Enhanced snake detection has also been found in young children.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=LoBue|first1=Vanessa|last2=DeLoache|first2=Judy S.|title=Detecting the Snake in the Grass: Attention to Fear-Relevant Stimuli by Adults and Young Children|journal=Psychological Science|date=1 March 2008|volume=19|issue=3|pages=284–289|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02081.x|pmid=18315802|s2cid=12776572|language=en|issn=0956-7976}}</ref>
Brain imaging investigations have found further evidence for the theory. Support for the idea of a high visual sensitivity to snakes has been proven in primate neural activity in response to snake threats.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Van Le|first1=Quan|last2=Isbell|first2=Lynne A.|last3=Matsumoto|first3=Jumpei|last4=Nguyen|first4=Minh|last5=Hori|first5=Etsuro|last6=Maior|first6=Rafael S.|last7=Tomaz|first7=Carlos|last8=Tran|first8=Anh Hai|last9=Ono|first9=Taketoshi|last10=Nishijo|first10=Hisao|title=Pulvinar neurons reveal neurobiological evidence of past selection for rapid detection of snakes|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|date=19 November 2013|volume=110|issue=47|pages=19000–19005|doi=10.1073/pnas.1312648110|pmid=24167268|issn=1091-6490|pmc=3839741|bibcode=2013PNAS..11019000V|doi-access=free}}</ref> Non-invasive
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Evolution of primates]]
[[Category:Snakes]]
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