Why Do Animals Fear Humans?

#Animals #Evolution #naturefacts A deer freezes at the edge of a forest. It hasn't seen you. It hasn't smelled you. But the moment it does, it's gone. Not because you threatened it. Simply because you exist. This video breaks down the science behind one of the most uncomfortable truths in biology: humans generate more fear in wild animals than almost any other predator on the planet — more than lions, wolves, or bears. You'll discover the super predator hypothesis, why a deer reacts more strongly to a human voice than to a lion's roar, and why that fear appears to be inherited rather than learned. You'll also see what happened to wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone when humans disappeared — and what it reveals about the role we play in the nervous systems of every animal that shares this planet with us. If this changed how you think about your presence in nature, drop a like and let us know in the comments: did you know humans were this feared? Subscribe for more deep dives into the science hiding behind the natural world. Sources: Liana Zanette — human voice fear study (2019) ▸ Zanette, L.Y., Hobbs, E.C., Witterick, L.E., MacDougall-Shackleton, S.A., & Clinchy, M. "Predator-induced fear causes PTSD-like changes in the brains and behaviour of wild animals." Scientific Reports (2019). ▸ Western University, Department of Biology research archive. Joel Brown — landscape of fear (original concept) ▸ Brown, J.S., Laundré, J.W., & Gurung, M. "The ecology of fear: Optimal foraging, game theory, and trophic interactions." Journal of Mammalogy (1999). William Ripple — landscape of fear expanded ▸ Ripple, W.J. & Beschta, R.L. "Wolves and the ecology of fear: Can predation risk structure ecosystems?" BioScience (2004). Chris Darimont — human predation rates ▸ Darimont, C.T., Fox, C.H., Bryan, H.M., & Reimchen, T.E. "The unique ecology of human predators." Science (2015). Jim Beasley — Chernobyl wildlife recovery ▸ Beasley, J.C., Boyce, W.M., & Rhodes, O.E. Wildlife studies in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. ▸ Deryabina, T.G. et al. "Long-term census data reveal abundant wildlife populations at Chernobyl." Current Biology (2015). Chris Lowe — shark behavior and fishing pressure ▸ Lowe, C.G. et al. "Behavioral and physiological responses of sharks to human activities in marine protected areas." California State University Long Beach Shark Lab research publications. Arian Wallach — compassionate conservation and dingo ecology ▸ Wallach, A.D., Ripple, W.J., & Carroll, S.P. "Novel trophic cascades: Apex predators enable coexistence." Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2015). ▸ Wallach, A.D. et al. "Compassionate conservation: Gauging support for a novel conservation paradigm." Biological Conservation (2018). Innate releasing mechanisms and inherited fear ▸ Tinbergen, N. The Study of Instinct (1951). Oxford University Press. ▸ Öhman, A. & Mineka, S. "Fears, phobias, and preparedness: Toward an evolved module of fear and fear learning." Psychological Review (2001). #Animals #Evolution #Nature #Wildlife #Science #animalbehavior