When a large group of people struggles to reach a consensus, voting is often used to help make a decision. Surprisingly, humans are not the only animals that exhibit this type of democratic tendency. Several different species of animals demonstrate similar voting behavior.
One of the most notable examples of animals engaging in this activity involves African buffalo. Ecologist Herbert Prins first observed herds of African buffalo performing voting behavior in the 1990s. Groups of African buffalo would pause under the intense midday sun and rest until dusk. Prins noticed that some buffalo would periodically stand up and gaze in certain directions during the break. As the sun set, they would proceed to a new grazing spot where they could feed during the evening. The buffalo’s behavior is evidence of a form of democratic voting, as the evening grazing locations are selected in accordance with the most gazes from the group.
當一大群人掙扎於達成共識時，通常會使用投票來幫助做出決定。令人驚訝的是，人類並不是唯一表現出這種民主傾向的動物。幾個不同種類的動物表現出類似的投票行為。
Photo: AdobeStock I 照片： AdobeStock
在從事這種行動的動物中，最著名的例子之一是非洲水牛。生態學家赫伯特普林斯在 1990 年代首次觀察到非洲水牛群表現出投票的行為。成群的非洲水牛會在正午強烈的陽光下停下來休息，直至黃昏。普林斯注意到有些水牛在休息時會定期站起來並凝視某個方向。當日落時，牠們會前往一個新的吃草地點，牠們晚上可以在那裡進食。水牛的這個行為是一種民主投票形式的證據，因為晚上的吃草地點是按照群體中最多水牛凝視的地方來選擇。
Word in Use
1. democratic a. 民主的
Democratic processes ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard.
民主程序確保所有公民的聲音都被聽見。
2. tendency n. 傾向
Children have a natural tendency to imitate their parents.
孩童天生就有模仿父母的傾向。
3. herd n. 一群（牛、馬、鹿等）
The zookeepers monitor the health of the herd of giraffes daily.
動物園管理員每天監測那群長頸鹿的健康。
Practical Phrases
1. in accordance with...
依照∕遵照……
accordance n.
一致，符合
All employees must act in accordance
全體員工必須依照公司的行為準則來行事。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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