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科学美国人60秒 SSS 探秘家禽的驯化之路

时间:2017-07-06 07:42:56

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(单词翻译)

Why the Cross Put Chickens on a New Road 探秘家禽的驯化之路

Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, that’s a philosophical1 pickle2. But if you want to know why chickens don’t get cross at people—why they’re content being kept in their coops—science can help.

为什么鸡要过马路?这是一个哲学问题。但是,如果你想知道为什么鸡不会生人类的气,为什么它们甘愿被困在笼子里——科学可以帮你找出答案。

“Domestic species are interesting because their genetic4 makeup5 has changed dramatically as part of the process of going from wild to domestic.”

“家养物种之所以有趣,是因为它们的基因组成在从野生到家养的驯化过程中发生了翻天覆地的变化。”

\Liisa Loog, an evolutionary6 geneticist and anthropologist7 at the Universities of Oxford8 and Cambridge.

莉萨·莱格——牛津大学和剑桥大学的一名进化遗传学家和人类学家。

“And indeed when people have compared modern domestic animals with their wild relatives they’ve identified genes9 that do show signs of strong recent selection. One such gene3 is thyroid stimulating10 hormone11 receptor, otherwise known as TSHR…in chickens, a variant12 of this gene that is widespread in modern populations has been shown to directly cause chickens to be less fearful of humans and also result in reduced aggression13 towards conspecifics.”

“的确,当人类将现代家畜与它们的野生亲属进行比较时,发现基因确实有明显的近期选择的迹象。促甲状腺激素受体(TSHR)就是在鸡身上发现的这样一个基因……该基因的一个变体普遍存在于现代家养鸡群中,且已被证明是它直接导致了家养鸡不会害怕人类,也是它导致了家养鸡对同种个体的攻击性变弱。”

But when exactly did the selection for these traits—and therefore this variant—take place?

但是这些特性的选择以及这种变体到底是什么时候发生的呢?

“It’s been suggested because of the potential usefulness of these traits in domestic setting that selection on this gene must have happened when chickens were first domesticated14 around 6,000 years ago in East Asia. But in an evolutionary timescale this is just a blink of an eye and we just don’t know and don’t have the resolution to tell when exactly between 6,000 years ago and now this selection happened, using data from only modern chicken populations…but with DNA15 from archaeological material we can follow what happened with a gene through time and in theory spot when changes in a population occur.”

“由于这些特性在家养环境中存在潜在用处,因而这种基因选择极有可能发生在约6000年前,鸡类首次在东亚被驯养之时。但在进化时间表中这就是一眨眼的事儿,我们无法仅利用现代鸡类的数据就清楚地分辨出这种基因选择是在6000年间的具体何时发生的……但是,通过从考古材料中提取的DNA,我们可以推断出基因在时间长河中发生了什么变化,以及从理论上讲一个种群何时发生了变化。”

Loog and her colleagues examined TSHR gene sequences in the ancient remains16 of about 60 chickens found in Europe “and estimated that selection at this TSHR locus17 happened only around 1,000 years ago, at medieval times. That is, 5,000 years after the initial domestication18 of chicken.

莱格和同事们研究了在欧洲发现的约60只古代鸡的遗骨中的TSHR基因序列,“据估计TSHR基因选择仅发生在大约1000年前中世纪时代,即鸡类被驯养了5000年后。”

“Interestingly this time period coincides with a…substantial increase in chicken consumption known from the archaeological record. Historians suggest that a key driver behind these changes was the rising popularity and spread of Christian19 traditions, which discouraged and also on occasions even banned eating meat from four-legged animals.”

“有趣的是,从考古记录中可见这一时期正值……鸡肉消费大幅增加之时。历史学家认为,这些变化背后的一个关键驱动因素是基督教传统的日益普及和传播,这些传统劝阻人们、有时甚至会禁止人们食用来自四足动物的肉食。”

But fowl20 were fair game.

而家禽类却是允许被捕食的。

“What is really exciting about this new study is that for the first time we can directly link genetic changes in domestic animal with cultural shifts in human food preference. The findings appear in the journal Molecular21 Biology and Evolution.

“这项新研究真正令人兴奋的是,我们第一次可以直接将家畜的基因变化与人类食物偏好的文化转型联系起来。”这一发现发表于《分子生物学与进化学》杂志。

This kind of plucky22 study is not just for the birds. Loog says the team is collecting canine23 archaeological samples, so they can look at how man’s best friend got divvied up into so many different breeds. Their research will no doubt be dogged.

这种大胆的研究不仅仅是针对家禽类。莱格表示她们团队正在收集犬类的考古样品,准备研究人类最好的朋友是如何被分为这么多不同品种的。他们的研究无疑会遭遇困扰。


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 philosophical rN5xh     
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的
参考例句:
  • The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
  • She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
2 pickle mSszf     
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡
参考例句:
  • Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
  • Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。
3 gene WgKxx     
n.遗传因子,基因
参考例句:
  • A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
  • The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。
4 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
5 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
6 evolutionary Ctqz7m     
adj.进化的;演化的,演变的;[生]进化论的
参考例句:
  • Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
  • These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。
7 anthropologist YzgzPk     
n.人类学家,人类学者
参考例句:
  • The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
  • The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。
8 Oxford Wmmz0a     
n.牛津(英国城市)
参考例句:
  • At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
  • This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
9 genes 01914f8eac35d7e14afa065217edd8c0     
n.基因( gene的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因,所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪
10 stimulating ShBz7A     
adj.有启发性的,能激发人思考的
参考例句:
  • shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
  • This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。
11 hormone uyky3     
n.荷尔蒙,激素,内分泌
参考例句:
  • Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
  • This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
12 variant GfuzRt     
adj.不同的,变异的;n.变体,异体
参考例句:
  • We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段,提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
  • In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种,是数据驱动的测试。
13 aggression WKjyF     
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害
参考例句:
  • So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结,就不必惧怕外来侵略。
  • Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。
14 domesticated Lu2zBm     
adj.喜欢家庭生活的;(指动物)被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务,烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
16 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
17 locus L0zxF     
n.中心
参考例句:
  • Barcelona is the locus of Spanish industry.巴塞罗那是西班牙工业中心。
  • Thereafter,the military remained the locus of real power.自此之后,军方一直掌握着实权。
18 domestication a412c94ddc4dddbce0e57281001e9ede     
n.驯养,驯化
参考例句:
  • The first was the domestication of animals. 第一个阶段是驯养动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • In northwestern China, there is no evidence for endemic domestication of any animals. 在中国西北,没有任何当地动物驯化的迹象。 来自辞典例句
19 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
20 fowl fljy6     
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉
参考例句:
  • Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
  • Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后,我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉,少吃红色肉类。
21 molecular mE9xh     
adj.分子的;克分子的
参考例句:
  • The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
  • For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时,分子的碰撞就停止了。
22 plucky RBOyw     
adj.勇敢的
参考例句:
  • The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
  • This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。
23 canine Lceyb     
adj.犬的,犬科的
参考例句:
  • The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
  • Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

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