Why animals help each other - Ashley Ward

Translator: Connie Zhao Reviewer: Aubrey Cheng

These humpback whales have already covered thousands of kilometers

呢啲座頭鯨已經游咗幾千公里

on their migration from tropical breeding grounds to colder feeding grounds.

佢哋由熱帶繁殖地遷移到較冷嘅覓食地

But one of these whales is about to take a detour.

但係其中一隻鯨魚將會兜路

From several kilometers away, it hears a group of orcas harassing a seal,

喺幾公里外， 佢聽到一群逆戟鯨騷擾海豹，

and— as if answering a distress signal— it races off.

好似係回應緊一個求救訊號咁 佢飛快游咗去

The humpback charges the 8-meter-long orcas,

座頭鯨衝去8 米長嘅逆戟鯨，

driving them away with its massive pectoral flukes.

用佢巨大嘅胸鰭將佢哋趕走

Then, when the threat is gone, it swiftly returns to its journey.

然後，當威脅消失之後， 佢迅速返到佢嘅旅程入面

Humpbacks are known to mount these kinds of impromptu rescue missions.

座頭鯨以執行呢類臨時救援任務而聞名

But why would they expend time and energy risking their lives for a stray seal?

但點解佢哋會花時間同精力， 冒住生命危險去救一隻流浪海豹呢？

Isn’t nature a cruel and vicious place, without room for generosity?

乜大自然唔係一個殘酷而邪惡嘅地方， 冇慷慨嘅餘地咩？

Well, sort of.

嗯，算係啦

The publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”

查理斯 · 達爾文嘅《物種起源》出版

introduced the notion of survival of the fittest,

提出咗適者生存嘅觀念，

creating a lasting vision of Earth’s strongest animals dominating

創造咗地球上最強嘅動物主宰住

the natural world.

自然界呢個持久嘅畫面

But this isn’t what Darwin meant by fitness,

但呢個並唔係達爾文所講嘅適應性，

nor is it how modern biologists define it.

現代生物學家亦都唔係咁定義佢

Rather than describing an animal’s physical strength,

佢唔係描述一隻動物嘅體力，

fitness refers to how likely an organism is to pass on its genes

適應性係指一種生物將基因傳遞畀後代嘅

to the next generation.

可能性

This means the fittest animals are those who can survive long enough

咁即係話最適應嘅動物 係嗰啲可以生存夠耐嘅動物

to produce healthy offspring.

以產下健康嘅後代

And while that might occasionally describe a powerful predator,

雖然呢個偶爾會描述一個強大嘅掠食者，

the fittest animal can also be the most stealthy, resourceful,

最適應嘅動物亦可以係最隱秘、最足智多謀嘅，

or even the most cooperative.

甚至乎係最合作嘅動物

So what exactly does cooperation look like in the animal kingdom?

咁，喺動物王國入面， 合作究竟係點樣嘅呢？

Sometimes it's fairly straightforward.

有時呢個係相當簡單嘅

In the sun-dappled waters of the Great Barrier Reef,

喺大堡礁陽光灑落嘅水域入面，

cleaner wrasse diligently inspect other fish for parasites,

裂唇魚勤奮噉檢查其他魚類係咪有寄生蟲，

eating up any blood suckers with a precise nibble.

精確噉啄食任何吸血嘅寄生蟲

This kind of arrangement, in which both sides benefit, is known as mutualism.

呢種雙方都受益嘅安排稱為共生

But this particular relationship can also be parasitic.

但呢種特殊嘅關係亦都可以係寄生性嘅

If a wrasse thinks it can get away with it,

如果裂唇魚認為佢可以逃脫懲罰

it will try to take a bite of the fish it’s cleaning.

佢會嘗試咬一口佢清潔緊嘅魚

This parasitic turn is only temporary, of course,

呢種寄生性嘅轉變當然只係暫時嘅，

and the wrasse will quickly return to its usual gourmet grooming.

而裂唇魚會好快恢復佢通常嘅高級清潔工作

Meanwhile, in the Kalahari Desert, meerkat mobs dig for buried prey.

與此同時，喺喀拉哈里沙漠， 狐獴群挖掘埋藏嘅獵物

This technique leaves the foragers vulnerable,

呢種技術令覓食者變得容易受到攻擊，

but when an eagle swoops down for a snack,

但當一隻鷹俯衝落嚟搵食物時，

the mob’s appointed sentry cries out.

群體指定嘅哨兵大聲呼喊

With lightning speed, the meerkats retreat to the safety of their burrows,

狐獴群以閃電咁嘅速度撤退到佢哋嘅洞穴入面， 尋求安全

leaving the bird in their dust.

剩番隻鷹，絕塵而去

While this arrangement is essential for the foragers,

雖然呢種安排對覓食者嚟講至關重要，

the sentries can't eat while on duty,

哨兵喺值班時唔可以進食，

and sounding a warning puts them directly in the eagles’ line of fire.

而發出警告將會令佢哋直接處於鷹嘅攻擊範圍內

But despite this roll’s dangers, it might actually increase their fitness.

但儘管呢個角色充滿危險， 佢實際上可能會提高佢哋嘅適應性

Many evolutionary biologists believe animals improve their odds

好多進化生物學家認為， 動物提高佢哋嘅機會

of passing their genes to the next generation in one of two ways.

以其中兩種方式將基因傳遞畀下一代

Either directly by having their own offspring,

一係直接通過生育自己嘅後代，

or indirectly by helping genetic relatives have offspring.

或間接通過幫助基因親屬繁衍後代

Meerkat sentries may gain this indirect fitness benefit

狐獴哨兵可能會獲得呢種間接嘅適應性好處

since groups tend to be comprised of closely related individuals.

因為群體通常由密切相關嘅個體組成

Of course, animals don't have to be family to protect each other.

當然，動物唔一定需要係家人先可以互相保護

For Costa Rican vampire bats, just a few unsuccessful hunts can mean starvation.

對於哥斯達黎加嘅吸血蝙蝠嚟講， 幾次狩獵失敗就可能意味住餓死

So it's fortunate that when a bat is dying of hunger,

所以，當一隻蝙蝠因為飢餓而快要死嗰陣，

another bat might regurgitate some of its own meal to help its roost mate

另一隻蝙蝠可能會將自己嘅一部分食物反芻出嚟， 幫助佢嘅棲息同伴

through this lean period.

度過呢段艱難時期

This is a considerable cost for the gifting bat.

對於奉獻嘅蝙蝠嚟講， 呢個係一個相當大嘅代價

But this practice develops a “you scratch my back

但呢種做法發展出一種「你幫我

and I’ll scratch yours” arrangement,

我幫你」嘅關係

more formally known as reciprocal altruism.

正式嚟講，呢個被稱為互惠利他主義

This isn’t altruism in its purest sense

呢個唔係最純粹嘅利他主義

because when the donor gives away its hard-won food,

因為當施予者將自己辛苦得到嘅食物畀其他人時

it does so expecting to receive similar help in the future.

佢咁做係期望將來可以獲得類似嘅幫助

But while it’s true that we usually see animals help one another

但儘管如此，我哋通常會見到動物互相幫助

in exchange for food, fitness, or favors,

就算係為咗食物、適應性或者恩惠交換

that doesn’t mean the animal kingdom is devoid of truly selfless altruism.

呢個並唔代表動物王國 缺乏真正無私嘅利他主義

Researchers still don't know why humpbacks protect unrelated whales

研究者仍然唔知點解座頭鯨 會保護無關係嘅鯨魚

and the occasional seal from powerful predators.

同埋偶爾嘅海豹免受強大掠食者嘅攻擊

And while it might seem hard to believe this heroic feat is an act of generosity,

雖然呢個英雄壯舉睇落 好難相信係一種慷慨嘅行為，

who knows what kinds of kindness we may discover

邊個知道我哋可能會發現啲咩善意，

as we continue investigating Earth’s countless cooperative creatures.

隨住我哋繼續探索地球上 無數樂於合作嘅生物