Smaller animals have a higher metabolic rate, the detection time is slower than humans, causing them to receive more information every second.
We often assume that time is the same for all species, but according to recent research published in the journal Animal Behavior, the problem of perceiving time as fast or slow differs between species.
Small animals with a fast metabolism (for example, parents of hummingbirds or hummingbirds) perceive more information per unit of time, which means that they have a slower action than larger species, a metabolism slower, including humans. The study was conducted by scientists from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, the MNN website said.
Even this change has taken place within the same species. The author of the study found that, in humans, some athletes can improve their ocular ability to follow the movement of a ball during a game at high speed. The perception of time also changes subtly with age, which helps explain why children perceive time as seemingly slower than adults.
“From the results of the study, the problem of time perception is an unprecedented aspect, we are beginning to understand that there is a degree of detail in the world that only certain animals can perceive. It’s fascinating because the way animals perceive the world is different from us, ”said Andrew Jackson, co-author of the study.
Jackson et al. Demonstrated this with a phenomenon called “coherent flicker frequency” based on the maximum speed of a flashing light that an animal could see before the light appeared fine, constant light, which is the same principle. than the TV. This is why the dog has difficulty seeing the pictures on TV, the researchers pointed out that the dog’s eyes have a higher recognition rate than the TV screen, they perceive colors less than humans.
The study was conducted on 30 different species, from rodents, lizards, pigeons to dogs, cats and sea turtles. The author found that for large animals, they perceive time to pass faster, so As groups of small animals tend to experience slow movement, the brains of insects and small vertebrates should not be underestimated.
“Animals can use differences in time perception to send secret signals, many species like fireflies and some deep-sea animals communicate through flashing lights, predators. Cannot decode signals if their visual systems aren’t fast enough, it’s a secret communication channel, “said Luke McNally, the biologist involved in the study.
