Twenty years ago, Öhman and Mineka's publication “The Malicious Serpent” emphasized the selective pressure ancestral reptiles would have on early mammals’ visual system, specifically the development of a set of subcortical structures that would provide snake-like images privileged access to the amygdala. This process would occur automatically and allows for quick defensive reactions. Based on criticisms directed to the snake detection research, we created five questions that guided the discussion in this review. Evidence suggests the existence of a set of subcortical structures that promote prompt detection of snakes and sustained attention, but difficulties arise due to the complex interconnectivity of cortical and subcortical structures and multiple threat responses. Gaps in the research are identified as potential for future investigation.

中文翻译：

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重温“恶意蛇”：人脑中标记的系统发育威胁刺激


二十年前，奥曼和米内卡的出版物《恶毒的蛇》强调了祖先爬行动物对早期哺乳动物视觉系统的选择性压力，特别是一组皮层下结构的发展，这些结构将为蛇形图像提供进入杏仁核的特权。这个过程会自动发生，并允许快速的防御反应。基于对蛇检测研究的批评，我们提出了五个问题来指导本次评论的讨论。有证据表明，存在一组皮质下结构，可以促进对蛇的及时检测和持续注意力，但由于皮质和皮质下结构复杂的互连性以及多种威胁响应，出现了困难。研究中的差距被认为是未来调查的潜力。