英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

2023/01/30 05:30

◎陳成良

Lizards that once dwelled in forests but now slink around urban areas have genetically morphed to survive life in the city, researchers have found.

研究人員發現，曾經居住在森林中但如今在城市地區到處神出鬼沒的蜥蜴，已經經歷了基因變化，可以在城市中生存。

The Puerto Rican crested anole, a brown lizard with a bright orange throat fan, has sprouted special scales to better cling to smooth surfaces like walls and windows and grown larger limbs to sprint across open areas, scientists say.

科學家說，「波多黎各冠安樂蜥」是一種棕色的蜥蜴，喉嚨呈亮橙色扇形，牠長出了特殊的鱗片，更能附著在牆壁和窗戶等光滑表面，並長出更大的四肢，可以在空曠的地方奔跑。

“We are watching evolution as it’s unfolding,” said Kristin Winchell, a biology professor at NYU and main author of the study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

「我們正在觀察演化的發展」，紐約大學生物學教授克里斯汀‧溫切爾說。他是週一發表在《美國國家科學院院刊》上的這篇研究主要作者。

As urbanization intensifies around the world, it’s important to understand how organisms adapt and humans can design cities in ways that support all species, Winchell said. (AP)

溫切爾說，隨著世界各地城市化進程加劇，了解生物體如何適應和人類如何以支持所有物種的方式設計城市，非常重要。（美聯社）

新聞辭典

slink：動詞，鬼鬼祟祟地潛行；潛逃；溜走。例句：Should she slink around as if she disgraced herself?（難道她該像做了壞事般躲著嗎?）

sprout：動詞，發芽；長出（毛髮等）。例句：Your hair is sticking up - it looks like you’re sprouting horns! （你的頭髮豎起來了，看起來跟長了角一樣！）

英倫翻譯轉自https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1564331