時差N小時:如何構(gòu)建更強的大腦 Building Bigger Brains

We humans pride ourselves on having large, supplebrains. Butwhile our brains are larger than those ofmost other animals, itappears that over time ourpresence can result in smaller-brained animalshaving cerebral growthspurts.

我們?nèi)祟悶閾碛写蟮?，靈活的大腦而自豪。然而，盡管我們的大腦比大多數(shù)動物大，但是，經(jīng)過一段時間，我們的存在似乎會讓大腦較小動物的大腦突然生長。

Scientists have found that certain small mammals-including some species of shrew, vole, bat,gopher,mouse and squirrel-have larger brains when theylive near or around people in bothurban and rural areas.

科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)某些小型哺乳動物─包括某些種類的鼩鼱、田鼠、蝙蝠、囊鼠、老鼠、松鼠─不論是生活在城市還是農(nóng)村，當(dāng)它們比鄰人類而居時，大腦會變大。

For example, one study found that the brains of urban-dwelling white-footed mice andmeadowvoles are about six percent larger than their rural cousins.

例如，一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)居住在城市的白足鼠和草甸田鼠，他們的大腦比它們的鄉(xiāng)下親屬大出6%。

Meanwhile, as habitats have become developed, rural dwelling shrews and bats have alsoevolvedlarger brains over the past century.

同時，隨著棲息地的擴展，在過去的一個世紀(jì)里，居住在農(nóng)村的鼩鼱和蝙蝠的大腦也變大了。

Scientists speculate that the larger brains of some city living animals are due to thosecrittershaving to adapt to and survive in places populated by lots of people.

科學(xué)家們猜測, 一些生活在城市的動物大腦變大，是因為他們不得不在人氣旺的地方適應(yīng)并生存下來。

After all, it stands to reasonthat raising baby mice and voles in busy urban and suburbanplaces requires as much brain poweras possible.

畢竟，可以理解老鼠和田鼠要在繁華的城市和郊區(qū)生兒育女是挺費腦子的。

As for the rural animals whose brains have grown, it could be that human development inruralareas has forced animals such as bats and shrews to forage farther afield, and thatpatrolling largerhunting grounds requires more brain power.

至于生活在農(nóng)村的動物大腦變大，這可能是因為人類在農(nóng)村的發(fā)展已經(jīng)迫使像蝙蝠和鼩鼱這樣的動物到更遠(yuǎn)的野外覓食。在更大的狩獵區(qū)巡查，更費腦力。

An important underlying point of this research is that even an organ as complex as the brainiscapable of significant evolution over relatively short periods of time.

這項研究的潛在關(guān)鍵是，即使像大腦這樣復(fù)雜的器官，也能在相對短的時間里發(fā)生重大進化。