Re: Depressed iguana?

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Posted by IC on August 06, 2001 at 12:41:19:

In Reply to: Re: Depressed iguana? posted by Samcin on August 06, 2001 at 03:51:20:

A friend of mine sent me the following in an email. I'm trying to get the source from her.

I found an article in one of our library databases that proves that
iguanas have feelings and are conscious
beings. (Like we didn't know that!) Here is a copy of the abstract:

Gentle handling of mammals (rats, mice), and lizards (Iguana), but not
of frogs
(Rana) and fish (Carassius) elevated the set-point for body temperature,
i.e., produced
an emotional fever, achieved only behaviorally in lizards. Heart rate,
another
detector of emotion in mammals, was also accelerated by gentle handling,
from ca. 70
b/min to ca. 110 b/min in lizards. This tachycardia faded in about 10
min. The same
handling did not significantly modify the frogs' heart rates. The
absence of emotional
tachycardia in frogs and its presence in lizards (as well as in
mammals), together with
the emotional fever exhibited by mammals and reptiles, but not by frogs
or fish, would
suggest that emotion emerged in the evolutionary lineage between
amphibians and
reptiles. Such a conclusion would imply that reptiles possess
consciousness with its
characteristic hedonic dimension, pleasure. The role of sensory pleasure
in decision
making was therefore verified in iguanas placed in a motivational
conflict. To be able
to reach a bait (lettuce), the iguanas had to leave a warm refuge,
provided with standard
food, and had to venture into a cold environment. The results showed
that lettuce
was not necessary to the iguanas and that they traded off the
palatability of the bait
against the disadvantage of the cold. Thus, the behavior of the iguanas
was possibly
produced, as it is in humans, through the maximization of sensory
pleasure. Altogether,
these results may indicate that the first elements of mental experience
emerged
between amphibians and reptiles.

How about that! Lizards were most likely the first to have feelings!

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interesting!!! iZ's mom 08/06/01 (1)
- Re: Entrez PubMed BabyHerp 08/07/01 (0)

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: A friend of mine sent me the following in an email. I'm trying to get the source from her. : I found an article in one of our library databases that proves that : iguanas have feelings and are conscious : beings. (Like we didn't know that!) Here is a copy of the abstract: : Gentle handling of mammals (rats, mice), and lizards (Iguana), but not : of frogs : (Rana) and fish (Carassius) elevated the set-point for body temperature, : i.e., produced : an emotional fever, achieved only behaviorally in lizards. Heart rate, : another : detector of emotion in mammals, was also accelerated by gentle handling, : from ca. 70 : b/min to ca. 110 b/min in lizards. This tachycardia faded in about 10 : min. The same : handling did not significantly modify the frogs' heart rates. The : absence of emotional : tachycardia in frogs and its presence in lizards (as well as in : mammals), together with : the emotional fever exhibited by mammals and reptiles, but not by frogs : or fish, would : suggest that emotion emerged in the evolutionary lineage between : amphibians and : reptiles. Such a conclusion would imply that reptiles possess : consciousness with its : characteristic hedonic dimension, pleasure. The role of sensory pleasure : in decision : making was therefore verified in iguanas placed in a motivational : conflict. To be able : to reach a bait (lettuce), the iguanas had to leave a warm refuge, : provided with standard : food, and had to venture into a cold environment. The results showed : that lettuce : was not necessary to the iguanas and that they traded off the : palatability of the bait : against the disadvantage of the cold. Thus, the behavior of the iguanas : was possibly : produced, as it is in humans, through the maximization of sensory : pleasure. Altogether, : these results may indicate that the first elements of mental experience : emerged : between amphibians and reptiles. : How about that! Lizards were most likely the first to have feelings!

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