评论
打印
Researchers recently offered the most complete examination yet of the history of penguins.
研究人员最近对企鹅的历史进行了迄今为止最全面的调查。
Penguins are short-legged flightless seabirds that mainly live in the southern half of the world.
企鹅是一种不会飞的短腿海鸟，主要生活在世界的南半部。
The researchers studied the genomes of the 20 living penguin species and subspecies.
研究人员研究了20种现存企鹅物种及其亚种的基因组。
With more than three quarters of known penguin species no longer existing, the researchers also included in their study 50 fossil species using skeletal data.
由于超过四分之三的已知企鹅物种已经灭绝，研究人员还利用骨骼数据在他们的研究中纳入了50种化石物种。
The researchers said penguins came from a common ancestor shared with a group of seabirds that includes albatrosses and petrels.
研究人员表示，企鹅与信天翁和海燕等一群海鸟有着共同的祖先。
Penguins first developed the ability to dive, like a puffin, and then lost the ability to fly as they adapted to water.
企鹅像海雀一样首先发展出了潜水能力，然后在适应水的过程中失去了飞行能力。
The earliest-known penguin is called Waimanu manneringi, from New Zealand.
已知最早的企鹅叫曼纳林威马奴企鹅，来自新西兰。
It is believed to have lived 61 million years ago.
据信，它生活在6100万年前。
Daniel Ksepka of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, is the co-writer of the study that was published in Nature Communications.
康涅狄格州格林尼治布鲁斯博物馆的丹尼尔·克塞普卡是这项研究的合著者，该研究发表在《自然-通讯》杂志上。
"We know penguins evolved from flying birds, but that happened over 60 million years ago and we need to look to the fossil record to piece together where, when and how that happened,” he said.
他说：“我们知道企鹅是从会飞的鸟类进化而来的，但这发生在6000多万年前，我们需要通过研究化石记录来拼凑出这一切发生的地点、时间和方式。”
Ksepka noted that penguins are appealing animals.
克塞普卡指出，企鹅是一种很有吸引力的动物。
He added that they “are ridiculously charming creatures. They love, they fight, they steal, and because of their funny upright posture it's really easy to imagine them having all the same motivations as people."
他还说，它们“是非常迷人的生物。它们爱，它们打架，它们偷窃，因为它们滑稽的直立的姿势，很容易想象它们有和人一样的动机。”
Motivation is a term that means a cause or reason for doing something.
Motivation的意思是做某事的原因或理由。
The study proposes that changes in world temperatures and in major ocean currents have been important drivers of penguin evolution.
这项研究提出，世界气温和主要洋流的变化是企鹅进化的重要驱动力。
Penguins live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.
企鹅主要生活在南半球。
The Galapagos penguin is the only one found north of the equator.
加拉帕戈斯企鹅是唯一在赤道以北发现的企鹅。
The University of Copenhagen’s Theresa Cole was the study’s lead writer.
哥本哈根大学的特丽萨·科尔是这项研究的主要作者。
Cole said the research found a number of genes likely involved in physical changes known as adaptations.
科尔说，研究发现，许多基因可能与被称为适应的生理变化有关。
Such adaptations include gene mutations that shift the way penguins see the world.
这种适应包括改变企鹅看世界的方式的基因突变。
Penguins’ vision is more sensitive toward the blue end of the color spectrum.
企鹅的视觉对光谱的蓝色端更敏感。
Blue light goes more deeply into the ocean than light at the red end of the spectrum.
蓝光比光谱红色端的光更深入海洋。
Genes that help birds detect salty and sour tastes are active in penguins.
帮助鸟类感知咸味和酸味的基因在企鹅身上很活跃。
But genes that help detect bitter, sweet and savory tastes are inactivated.
但是，帮助感知苦味、甜味和咸味的基因是不活跃的。
Those may no longer be needed as penguins find food in cold, salty water and usually swallow prey including fish, shrimp and squid whole.
企鹅可能不再需要这些基因了，因为企鹅在冰冷的咸水中寻找食物，通常会囫囵吞下包括鱼、虾和鱿鱼在内的猎物。
Penguins show changes in their wing bones and a reduction of their flight feathers.
企鹅的翼骨发生了变化，飞羽也减少了。
Penguins also have reduced air spaces in the skeleton and the ability to store more oxygen in their muscles for long dives.
企鹅骨骼中的空气空间也减少了，并有能力在肌肉中储存更多的氧气以备长时间潜水。
Penguins were once much larger than today's species.
企鹅曾经比如今的物种大得多。
One ancient species, Kumimanu biceae, lived in New Zealand between 55 and 60 million years ago and stood about 1.8 meters tall.
一种古老的物种Kumimanu biceae生活在5500万到6000万年前的新西兰，身高约1.8米。
The largest modern species, the emperor penguin, is about one meter tall.
现代最大的物种帝企鹅大约有一米高。
I’m John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
