猫捕鼠,马避敌,河狸筑窝,百鸟歌唱。动物的这些本领是生来就有的吗?不,这是它们的父母进行教育的结果。美国纽约洛克菲勒大学的科学家彼得·马勒发现,小鸟在出生两个月后才开始放声歌唱,而在这之前,它必须经常聆昕大鸟的歌声,并进行一段时间的唱歌练习。从小离开父母、由人工单独喂养的小鸟,是成不了“歌手”的。它们虽然天生就有发声能力,却只能发出几种单调的声音。 Cats catch mice, horses evade enemies, beavers build nests, and birds sing. Are these skills of the animals born or not? No, this is the result of the education of their parents. Peter Maller, a scientist at Rockefeller University in New York City, USA, discovered that the bird began singing after two months of birth. Before that, it must frequently listen to Big Bird singing and perform some singing exercises. It is impossible for a “singer” to leave a small bird that has been separated from its parents and left alone. Although they are naturally capable of sounding, they can only issue several monotonous sounds.