科学家揭开变色龙眼球独立运动的奥秘（在线收听）

科学家揭开变色龙眼球独立运动的奥秘

Many fish and birds have eyes on opposite sides of the head, and they seemingly have at any given moment two different pictures of the world around them. But chameleons’eyes are slightly bulging so they can focus both eyes on one object or track two different objects with each eye.

许多鱼类和鸟类的眼睛都位于头部的两侧,而且似乎在任何时刻周遭的世界呈现给它们的是两种截然不同的景象。但变色龙的眼睛则是略微膨胀,这样它们可以将两只眼睛的焦点集中在一个物体上或通过每只眼睛追踪两个不同的物体。

The puzzling question was: does one eye know what the other is doing?

而令科学家们感到困惑的问题是:一只眼睛知道另一个所做的事情吗?

Scientists at Haifa University, in Israel, tried to find the answer with the help of a computer screen.

以色列海法大学的科学家们正希望凭借电脑的帮助揭开其中的奥秘。

"We found out that each eye has a different role. We have the tracking eye, that will continue tracking the target, and the converging eye that will converge to the tracking eye, and eventually she will choose that target. We found out that each eye has a different subtle pattern of eye movements according to her role.”

“我们发现,每只眼睛都有着不同的功用。我们发现它们有能够持续追踪目标的追踪眼,以及能够汇聚追踪眼的汇聚眼,最终变色龙会选择这一目标。我们发现依据本身所处环境的不同变色龙的每只眼睛都有不同微妙的眼球运动模式。”

When the picture of an insect projected on the screen was split in two, which then started to move in opposite directions, the chameleon was able to follow both. But when the animal finally decided on one of the targets, its other eye suddenly swiveled back to focus on the same spot. In a split second, it lashed out its long tongue at the target. This proved that the second eye knew what the first eye was seeing.

当昆虫投射在屏幕上时画面被一分为二,然后眼球开始朝着相反的方向运动,这样变色龙就能够二者兼顾。但是当它最终决定捕猎的目标,它的另一只眼睛会突然扭回集中在同一点上。在一瞬间,它的长舌伸出直达目标。这证明,第二眼知道第一眼正在看的景象。

"We assume that the brain controls each eye independently with independent units of eye movements, but there is a higher level of control that can co-ordinate these two. So each eye knows exactly what the other eye sees and vice versa.”

“我们假设大脑能对每只眼睛眼球运动的独立单元独立控制,但还有一种更高层次的控制可以进行二者的协调。所以每只眼睛知道另一只眼睛看到什么,而且反之亦然。”

Scientists say new findings may shed new light on research on other, similar animals. It also could find application in the control of mechanical devices,whose video cameras have to focus simultaneously on several things such as robots or self-driving cars

科学家表示这一新发现可能为其他类似的动物的研究指明方向。或许还能因此诞生一款控制机械设备的应用程序,其中的摄像机会同时关注如机器人或自动驾驶汽车等的几件事物。