Did people evolve the fear of snakes?

[Adamd]

Yeah sorry I questioned the idea of inherent fear of snakes and was in the middle of posting when battery ran out.
It's an interesting thought that we have evolved a better eye sight/mind sight due to having to avoid venomous snakes. I agree asked fear it's self is learned but the fact that the physiology of humans from birth is equipped to be aware of snakes is amazing and seems completely plausible.

 

[SteveNT]

It is very sensible to be afraid of dangerous things. Children learn this. Everyone learns this. We (us) have the remarkable ability to "unlearn". To change our mind.

It lets us jump out of perfectly good aircraft, dive deep, jump off cliffs....and....love snakes.

 

[andynic07]

Everyone learns this. We (us) have the remarkable ability to "unlearn". To change our mind.

Is it "unlearning" or just learning new facts? Actually I think I like the way you put it.

 

[SteveNT]

Is it "unlearning" or just learning new facts? Actually I think I like the way you put it.

It is unlearning, both. But it is called rationale. Feel the fear but do it anyway. Hopefully with some thought up front.

 

[moosenoose]

I just think as we've progressed as a species we've become more complacent

 

[BloodRunsCold]

that's why I teach my son to love reptiles and as he gets older I will make sure he is aware to stay away from dangerous reptiles I can just see someone against reptiles teaching there children to chop there heads off but they'll get there's

 

[andynic07]

that's why I teach my son to love reptiles and as he gets older I will make sure he is aware to stay away from dangerous reptiles I can just see someone against reptiles teaching there children to chop there heads off but they'll get there's

They are the ones that get bitten by the venomous snakes.

 

[BloodRunsCold]

yeah hope so

 

[mmafan555]

In certain parts of the world it would make sense that humans would have evolved a great fear of snakes...since prior to anti-venom alot of snake bites were almost certain death/permanent disability.. India alone has something like 50,000 deaths a year by snakebite which is a tremendous statistic and thats talking about modern times. In some years in Burma Snake bite is the 6th leading cause of death in the entire country.

Spiders really aren't that dangerous to humans and probably never were even long before antivenoms were created. They aren't even close to snakes in terms of danger to humans. So the evolutionary pressure would be far less than with snakes.

 

[cement]

I reckon that articles a load of crap. Replace the word snake with lollypop, and you would get the same result.