研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，紐約嚙齒動物進化成與人類鼠類相似的物種

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，紐約嚙齒動物進化成與人類鼠類相似的物種

Rats are becoming more like people — at least in New York.

老鼠正變得越來越像人類——至少在紐約是這樣。

A research paper published last month in bioRxiv found that the genetic makeup of NYC’s rodent residents has shifted in response to the city.

上個月發(fā)表在bioRxiv上的一篇研究論文發(fā)現(xiàn)，紐約市嚙齒動物居民的基因構(gòu)成已經(jīng)隨著城市的變化而改變。

“We know rats have changed in incredible ways in their behavior and in their diet, just as human communities have changed,” study author and Columbia University population geneticist Arbel Harpak tells the Guardian. “In New York you can see them eat bagels and beer … they adapt in amazing ways.”

該研究的作者、哥倫比亞大學(xué)人口遺傳學(xué)家阿貝爾·哈帕克告訴《衛(wèi)報》:“我們知道老鼠的行為和飲食已經(jīng)發(fā)生了令人難以置信的變化，就像人類社會也發(fā)生了變化一樣。”“在紐約，你可以看到他們吃百吉餅、喝啤酒……他們以驚人的方式適應(yīng)環(huán)境。”

To determine how much rodent DNA has altered to optimize the vermin for city living, Harpak and his team first captured 29 NYC rats using bacon, peanut butter and oats — borough rats’ favorite treats — to get them into traps, and then analyze their genomes. They then compared Rat Yorkers’ DNA with those from a northeastern province in China considered to be the brown rats’ birthplace and found that the New York pests’ diet, behavior and movement had all morphed to better suit life in Gotham.

為了確定嚙齒動物的DNA有多少改變，以優(yōu)化城市生活中的害蟲，哈帕克和他的團隊首先用培根、花生醬和燕麥(自治區(qū)老鼠最喜歡的食物)捕獲了29只紐約老鼠，然后分析它們的基因組。然后，他們將紐約老鼠的DNA，與來自這種老鼠誕生地——中國東北部某省的老鼠DNA進行了比較，這種紐約害蟲的飲食、行為和動作都發(fā)生了變化，更適合高譚市的生活。

“This could reflect the fact that urban rats have to move through highly artificial environments that are very different from natural habitats,” says Harpak. “So you could argue these gene changes might have evolved to help them move more easily through sewers and pipes.”

哈帕克說：“這可能反映了一個事實，即城市老鼠必須在高度人工化的環(huán)境中移動，而這些環(huán)境與自然棲息地截然不同。”“所以你可以認為，這些基因變化可能有助于它們更容易地穿過下水道和管道。”

Next up for Harpak is figuring out when these genetic changes took place in NYC furballs by analyzing a 125-year-old brown rat pelt from a private collection, he tells the Guardian. “That should give us a clearer indication of when these changes took place,” he says.

哈帕克告訴《衛(wèi)報》，接下來他將通過分析來自私人收藏的125歲的棕色鼠皮，來弄清楚這些基因變化是何時在紐約皮球中發(fā)生的。“這應(yīng)該能讓我們更清楚地了解這些變化是何時發(fā)生的，”他表示。

In other recent rodent news, a separate study published this month in the journal Current Biology found that rats are far more empathetic than many realize. Researchers in the Netherlands discovered that, under certain conditions, rats will avoid hurting fellow rats — even if it means losing out on potential treats.

在最近的其他嚙齒動物新聞中，本月發(fā)表在《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》(Current Biology)雜志上的另一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，老鼠遠比許多人意識到的更有同理心。荷蘭的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，在某些情況下，老鼠會避免傷害同類——即使這意味著失去潛在的獎勵。