Building a dinosaur from a chicken | Jack Horner

1,245,414 views ・ 2011-06-07

TED


請雙擊下方英文字幕播放視頻。

譯者: Ann Lee 審譯者: Sean Chuang
00:15
When I was growing up in Montana,
0
15260
4000
當我在Montana長大時
00:19
I had two dreams.
1
19260
3000
我有過兩個夢想
00:22
I wanted to be a paleontologist,
2
22260
2000
我想要做一名古生物學家
00:24
a dinosaur paleontologist,
3
24260
2000
一名恐龍古生物學家
00:26
and I wanted to have a pet dinosaur.
4
26260
3000
我還想要一隻恐龍當寵物
00:29
And so that's what I've been striving for
5
29260
3000
所以這就是我在努力
00:32
all of my life.
6
32260
3000
一生的夢想
00:35
I was very fortunate
7
35260
2000
我是非常幸運
00:37
early in my career.
8
37260
2000
在我的早期職業生涯
00:39
I was fortunate
9
39260
2000
我找東西時
00:41
in finding things.
10
41260
2000
很幸運
00:43
I wasn't very good at reading things.
11
43260
2000
我不是很善於閱讀
00:45
In fact, I don't read much of anything.
12
45260
3000
其實,我不讀的東西很多
00:48
I am extremely dyslexic,
13
48260
2000
我是有嚴重的閱讀障礙
00:50
and so reading is the hardest thing I do.
14
50260
3000
所以閱讀時我做的最困難的事
00:53
But instead, I go out and I find things.
15
53260
3000
不過, 我走出家門去找東西
00:56
Then I just pick things up.
16
56260
2000
然後我在地上拾東西
00:58
I basically practice for finding money on the street.
17
58260
3000
我基本上是在練習在地上找錢
01:01
(Laughter)
18
61260
2000
(笑聲)
01:03
And I wander about the hills,
19
63260
2000
我在小山中漫遊
01:05
and I have found a few things.
20
65260
3000
找到了一些東西
01:08
And I have been fortunate enough
21
68260
3000
和我已經夠幸運
01:11
to find things like the first eggs in the Western hemisphere
22
71260
5000
能找到在西半球裡的第一只蛋
01:16
and the first baby dinosaurs in nests,
23
76260
4000
和第一只恐龍寶寶在巢裡
01:20
the first dinosaur embryos
24
80260
2000
第一個恐龍胚胎
01:22
and massive accumulations of bones.
25
82260
4000
和大量積累的骨頭
01:26
And it happened to be at a time
26
86260
2000
就在當
01:28
when people were just starting to begin to realize
27
88260
4000
人們就開始明白
01:32
that dinosaurs weren't the big, stupid, green reptiles
28
92260
4000
恐龍不是那些人們則麽多年來以為的
01:36
that people had thought for so many years.
29
96260
3000
大,笨,綠色的爬行動物
01:39
People were starting to get an idea
30
99260
2000
人本開始得到一個想法
01:41
that dinosaurs were special.
31
101260
2000
恐龍是特別的
01:43
And so, at that time,
32
103260
3000
所以在那時
01:46
I was able to make some interesting hypotheses
33
106260
3000
我能夠和我的同事
01:49
along with my colleagues.
34
109260
2000
做一些有趣的假設
01:51
We were able to actually say
35
111260
2000
我們其實可以說
01:53
that dinosaurs -- based on the evidence we had --
36
113260
3000
恐龍-根據我們的證據-
01:56
that dinosaurs built nests
37
116260
3000
恐龍蓋巢
01:59
and lived in colonies
38
119260
3000
住在群里
02:02
and cared for their young,
39
122260
2000
和 照顧他們的幼代
02:04
brought food to their babies
40
124260
2000
帶給他們的寶寶食物
02:06
and traveled in gigantic herds.
41
126260
3000
而在巨大的群裡移動
02:09
So it was pretty interesting stuff.
42
129260
3000
所以這是非常有趣的東西
02:12
I have gone on to find more things
43
132260
3000
我已經在尋找更多的事情
02:15
and discover that dinosaurs really were very social.
44
135260
4000
並發現恐龍真的是很有社會感。
02:19
We have found a lot of evidence
45
139260
3000
我們找到了很多證據
02:22
that dinosaurs changed
46
142260
2000
表示恐龍會變
02:24
from when they were juveniles to when they were adults.
47
144260
2000
從他們幼兒期、青少年時期到成人期
02:26
The appearance of them would have been different --
48
146260
3000
他們的外表會改變
02:29
which it is in all social animals.
49
149260
2000
想在全部的集體動物
02:31
In social groups of animals,
50
151260
2000
在動物的群體中,
02:33
the juveniles always look different than the adults.
51
153260
3000
幼兒一直和成年長的不同
02:36
The adults can recognize the juveniles;
52
156260
2000
大的可以識別的未成年的
02:38
the juveniles can recognize the adults.
53
158260
2000
未成年的可以識別的大的
02:40
And so we're making a better picture
54
160260
3000
所以,我們是在做一個更好的描述
02:43
of what a dinosaur looks like.
55
163260
2000
恐龍是什麼樣子
02:45
And they didn't just all chase Jeeps around.
56
165260
3000
他們不只整天在追逐吉普車
02:48
(Laughter)
57
168260
2000
(笑聲)
02:50
But it is that social thing
58
170260
3000
但是社會的事情
02:53
that I guess attracted Michael Crichton.
59
173260
4000
我想吸引邁克爾克萊頓 (Michael Crichton)
02:57
And in his book, he talked about the social animals.
60
177260
4000
並在他的書中,他談到了社會性的動物
03:01
And then Steven Spielberg, of course,
61
181260
2000
然後史蒂芬斯皮爾伯格(Steven Spielberg),當然
03:03
depicts these dinosaurs
62
183260
2000
描述這些恐龍
03:05
as being very social creatures.
63
185260
3000
作為非常社會的動物
03:08
The theme of this story is building a dinosaur,
64
188260
2000
這個故事的主題是建立一只恐龍
03:10
and so we come to that part of "Jurassic Park."
65
190260
4000
所以我們來的那“侏羅紀公園“的部分
03:14
Michael Crichton really was one of the first people
66
194260
3000
邁克爾克萊頓是一真正的第一個人
03:17
to talk about bringing dinosaurs back to life.
67
197260
4000
談論使恐龍復活
03:21
You all know the story, right.
68
201260
2000
大家都知道這個故事吧
03:23
I mean, I assume everyone here has seen "Jurassic Park."
69
203260
3000
我設想這裡的所有人都看到“侏羅紀公園“。
03:26
If you want to make a dinosaur,
70
206260
2000
如果你想做一只恐龍,
03:28
you go out, you find yourself a piece of petrified tree sap --
71
208260
4000
你出去,你找自己的一塊石化樹液-
03:32
otherwise known as amber --
72
212260
2000
或稱為琥珀-
03:34
that has some blood-sucking insects in it,
73
214260
3000
裡面有一些吸血昆蟲在裡面
03:37
good ones,
74
217260
2000
那些好的
03:39
and you get your insect and you drill into it
75
219260
3000
你會得到你的蟲子,你挖個洞
03:42
and you suck out some DNA,
76
222260
2000
你吸出一些DNA
03:44
because obviously all insects that sucked blood in those days
77
224260
3000
因為很顯然所有的昆蟲都在那些日子裡吸血
03:47
sucked dinosaur DNA out.
78
227260
3000
吸了恐龍的DNA
03:50
And you take your DNA back to the laboratory
79
230260
3000
然後你把你的DNA帶回實驗室
03:53
and you clone it.
80
233260
3000
你利用基因去複製它
03:56
And I guess you inject it into maybe an ostrich egg,
81
236260
3000
我猜你可能把它注入鴕鳥蛋
03:59
or something like that,
82
239260
2000
或類似的東西
04:01
and then you wait,
83
241260
2000
然後你就等
04:03
and, lo and behold, out pops a little baby dinosaur.
84
243260
3000
你瞧,出彈出一個小恐龍寶寶
04:06
And everybody's happy about that.
85
246260
3000
然後每個人都為這個開心
04:09
(Laughter)
86
249260
3000
(笑聲)
04:12
And they're happy over and over again.
87
252260
2000
他們一次又一次的快樂
04:14
They keep doing it; they just keep making these things.
88
254260
3000
他們繼續做下去,他們不停的做這些事
04:17
And then, then, then, and then ...
89
257260
4000
然後,然後,然後,然後 ...
04:21
Then the dinosaurs, being social,
90
261260
3000
然後,恐龍作為社會動物
04:24
act out their socialness,
91
264260
3000
用他們的社會性
04:27
and they get together,
92
267260
2000
他們聚在一起,
04:29
and they conspire.
93
269260
3000
和密謀
04:32
And, of course, that's what makes Steven Spielberg's movie --
94
272260
4000
當然,這是史蒂芬斯皮爾伯格的電影-
04:36
conspiring dinosaurs chasing people around.
95
276260
3000
恐龍追逐人的陰謀
04:39
So I assume everybody knows
96
279260
2000
所以我想大家都知道
04:41
that if you actually had a piece of amber and it had an insect in it,
97
281260
3000
如果你真的有一塊琥珀,裡面有昆蟲,
04:44
and you drilled into it,
98
284260
3000
你鑽了進去
04:47
and you got something out of that insect,
99
287260
2000
你把昆蟲裡拿出一些東西
04:49
and you cloned it, and you did it over and over and over again,
100
289260
3000
你複製它,一遍又一遍又一遍
04:52
you'd have a room full of mosquitos.
101
292260
2000
你就會有一間充滿了蚊子的房間
04:54
(Laughter)
102
294260
2000
(笑聲)
04:56
(Applause)
103
296260
5000
(掌聲)
05:01
And probably a whole bunch of trees as well.
104
301260
3000
以及可能還有一大堆的樹
05:04
Now if you want dinosaur DNA,
105
304260
2000
那麼如果你想要恐龍的DNA,
05:06
I say go to the dinosaur.
106
306260
3000
我說直接去恐龍拿
05:09
So that's what we've done.
107
309260
2000
所以我們就那麼做
05:11
Back in 1993 when the movie came out,
108
311260
2000
早在1993年當電影出來後
05:13
we actually had a grant from the National Science Foundation
109
313260
3000
我們實際有一個由美國國家科學基金會所給的一個計畫
05:16
to attempt to extract DNA from a dinosaur,
110
316260
3000
試圖萃取一個恐龍的DNA
05:19
and we chose the dinosaur on the left,
111
319260
3000
我們選擇了恐龍在左側
05:22
a Tyrannosaurus rex, which was a very nice specimen.
112
322260
3000
一條霸王龍,這是一個非常好的標本
05:25
And one of my former doctoral students,
113
325260
2000
我以前有一位博士生
05:27
Dr. Mary Schweitzer,
114
327260
2000
Mary Schweitzer 博士
05:29
actually had the background
115
329260
2000
實際上有背景
05:31
to do this sort of thing.
116
331260
2000
做這類事情
05:33
And so she looked into the bone of this T. rex,
117
333260
3000
因此,研究過著這個霸王龍骨骼
05:36
one of the thigh bones,
118
336260
2000
其中一個大腿骨
05:38
and she actually found
119
338260
2000
而她居然發現
05:40
some very interesting structures in there.
120
340260
3000
一些非常有趣的結構在裡面
05:43
They found these red circular-looking objects,
121
343260
4000
他們發現,這些紅色的圓形的東西
05:47
and they looked, for all the world,
122
347260
2000
他們找了所有的世界
05:49
like red blood cells.
123
349260
2000
像紅血細胞
05:51
And they're in
124
351260
2000
他們在
05:53
what appear to be the blood channels
125
353260
2000
似乎是血液傳輸的管道
05:55
that go through the bone.
126
355260
2000
經過了骨頭
05:57
And so she thought, well, what the heck.
127
357260
3000
於是她想,好吧,什麼東西
06:00
So she sampled some material out of it.
128
360260
3000
於是,她抽取出它的一些物質
06:03
Now it wasn't DNA; she didn't find DNA.
129
363260
3000
現在不是DNA,她沒有找到的DNA
06:06
But she did find heme,
130
366260
3000
但她發現血紅素
06:09
which is the biological foundation
131
369260
2000
這是生物學基礎
06:11
of hemoglobin.
132
371260
2000
血紅蛋白
06:13
And that was really cool.
133
373260
2000
這真的很酷
06:15
That was interesting.
134
375260
2000
這是有趣的
06:17
That was -- here we have 65-million-year-old heme.
135
377260
5000
這是- 在這裡,我們有六千五百萬歲血紅素
06:22
Well we tried and tried
136
382260
2000
我們試了又試
06:24
and we couldn't really get anything else out of it.
137
384260
2000
我們無法真正得到任何東西
06:26
So a few years went by,
138
386260
2000
幾年過去了
06:28
and then we started the Hell Creek Project.
139
388260
2000
然後我們開始了Hell Creek工程
06:30
And the Hell Creek Project was this massive undertaking
140
390260
3000
Hell Creek工程是個的大工程
06:33
to get as many dinosaurs as we could possibly find,
141
393260
3000
我們希望可以發現可以發現的恐龍
06:36
and hopefully find some dinosaurs
142
396260
2000
希望能找到一些恐龍
06:38
that had more material in them.
143
398260
3000
有更多的東西在裡面
06:41
And out in eastern Montana
144
401260
3000
在Montana的東部
06:44
there's a lot of space, a lot of badlands,
145
404260
2000
有很多的空間,很多荒地
06:46
and not very many people,
146
406260
2000
並沒有住很多人
06:48
and so you can go out there and find a lot of stuff.
147
408260
2000
所以你可以去那裡,找到了很多的東西
06:50
And we did find a lot of stuff.
148
410260
2000
而且,我們也發現了很多的東西
06:52
We found a lot of Tyrannosaurs,
149
412260
2000
我們發現了大量的霸王龍
06:54
but we found one special Tyrannosaur,
150
414260
2000
但我們發現一個特殊霸王龍
06:56
and we called it B-rex.
151
416260
2000
我們把它稱為乙霸王龍
06:58
And B-rex was found
152
418260
2000
乙霸王龍是在
07:00
under a thousand cubic yards of rock.
153
420260
2000
好幾萬噸的岩石下發現
07:02
It wasn't a very complete T. rex,
154
422260
3000
這不是一個很完整的霸王龍
07:05
and it wasn't a very big T. rex,
155
425260
3000
不是一個非常大的暴龍
07:08
but it was a very special B-rex.
156
428260
3000
但它是一個非常特殊的乙霸王龍
07:11
And I and my colleagues cut into it,
157
431260
2000
我和我的同事剪切出來
07:13
and we were able to determine,
158
433260
2000
而我們能夠確定
07:15
by looking at lines of arrested growth, some lines in it,
159
435260
3000
通過查看這隻以霸王龍的一些年齡成長資料,
07:18
that B-rex had died at the age of 16.
160
438260
3000
乙霸王龍活了16年
07:21
We don't really know how long dinosaurs lived,
161
441260
3000
我們真的不知道恐龍的壽命
07:24
because we haven't found the oldest one yet.
162
444260
2000
因為我們沒有發現最老的
07:26
But this one died at the age of 16.
163
446260
3000
但這只16歲死了
07:29
We gave samples to Mary Schweitzer,
164
449260
2000
我們把樣品給了Mary Schweitzer
07:31
and she was actually able to determine
165
451260
2000
她竟然能夠確定
07:33
that B-rex was a female
166
453260
2000
乙霸王龍是母的
07:35
based on medullary tissue
167
455260
2000
基於在骨頭裡面的
07:37
found on the inside of the bone.
168
457260
2000
骨隨組織而判定的
07:39
Medullary tissue is the calcium build-up,
169
459260
3000
骨隨組織是鈣積聚
07:42
the calcium storage basically,
170
462260
2000
基本上被儲存的鈣
07:44
when an animal is pregnant,
171
464260
2000
常常發生在動物懷孕
07:46
when a bird is pregnant.
172
466260
2000
或是鳥類懷孕的過程中堆積而成的
07:48
So here was the character
173
468260
2000
因此,正是這個性質
07:50
that linked birds and dinosaurs.
174
470260
2000
把鳥類和恐龍聯繫起來
07:52
But Mary went further.
175
472260
2000
但Mary做了更進一步研究
07:54
She took the bone, and she dumped it into acid.
176
474260
3000
她把那塊骨頭丟進了酸液中
07:57
Now we all know that bones are fossilized,
177
477260
3000
現在大家都知道這些骨頭都是被石化的
08:00
and so if you dump it into acid,
178
480260
2000
所以,如果你放進酸
08:02
there shouldn't be anything left.
179
482260
2000
不應該有任何東西留著
08:04
But there was something left.
180
484260
2000
但是還有一些沒化掉
08:06
There were blood vessels left.
181
486260
3000
有血管
08:09
There were flexible, clear blood vessels.
182
489260
4000
富有彈性,單純的血管
08:13
And so here was the first soft tissue from a dinosaur.
183
493260
3000
這裡是第一個從恐龍軟組織
08:16
It was extraordinary.
184
496260
2000
這是了不起的
08:18
But she also found osteocytes,
185
498260
3000
她也發現骨細胞
08:21
which are the cells that laid down the bones.
186
501260
3000
就是這些細胞構成了骨頭
08:24
And try and try, we could not find DNA,
187
504260
4000
並努力嘗試,我們無法找到DNA
08:28
but she did find evidence of proteins.
188
508260
3000
但她找到證據的蛋白質
08:31
But we thought maybe --
189
511260
3000
但我們想,也許-
08:34
well, we thought maybe
190
514260
2000
也許
08:36
that the material was breaking down after it was coming out of the ground.
191
516260
3000
這些化石被挖出後會分解
08:39
We thought maybe it was deteriorating very fast.
192
519260
2000
也許這是因為蛋白質劣化的速度非常快
08:41
And so we built a laboratory
193
521260
2000
所以,我們建立了一個實驗室
08:43
in the back of an 18-wheeler trailer,
194
523260
3000
在一部18輪拖車的後面
08:46
and actually took the laboratory to the field
195
526260
3000
把實驗室移駕到野外
08:49
where we could get better samples.
196
529260
2000
在那裡我們可以得到更好的樣本
08:51
And we did. We got better material.
197
531260
3000
我們做到了,我們得到了更好的物質
08:54
The cells looked better.
198
534260
2000
這些細胞看起來更好
08:56
The vessels looked better.
199
536260
2000
血管看起來更好
08:58
Found the protein collagen.
200
538260
2000
然後,膠原蛋白
09:00
I mean, it was wonderful stuff.
201
540260
3000
它是美好的東西
09:03
But it's not dinosaur DNA.
202
543260
4000
但它不是恐龍的DNA
09:07
So we have discovered
203
547260
2000
因此,我們已經發現
09:09
that dinosaur DNA, and all DNA,
204
549260
2000
恐龍的DNA,和所有的DNA
09:11
just breaks down too fast.
205
551260
2000
分解了太快
09:13
We're just not going to be able
206
553260
2000
我們只是不能
09:15
to do what they did in "Jurassic Park."
207
555260
3000
和“侏羅紀公園“情節一樣重建出一隻恐龍
09:18
We're not going to be able to make a dinosaur
208
558260
3000
我們不能夠做恐龍
09:21
based on a dinosaur.
209
561260
3000
從恐龍
09:24
But birds are dinosaurs.
210
564260
4000
但是,鳥類是恐龍
09:29
Birds are living dinosaurs.
211
569260
3000
鳥類是恐龍的活化石
09:32
We actually classify them
212
572260
2000
我們實際上它們分類
09:34
as dinosaurs.
213
574260
2000
作為恐龍
09:36
We now call them non-avian dinosaurs
214
576260
2000
我們現在稱之為非禽類恐龍
09:38
and avian dinosaurs.
215
578260
2000
和禽類恐龍
09:40
So the non-avian dinosaurs
216
580260
2000
因此,非禽類恐龍
09:42
are the big clunky ones that went extinct.
217
582260
2000
是那些笨重的,現在滅絕了
09:44
Avian dinosaurs are our modern birds.
218
584260
3000
禽類的恐龍我們的現代的鳥
09:47
So we don't have to make a dinosaur
219
587260
2000
所以,我們不需要做出恐龍
09:49
because we already have them.
220
589260
3000
因為我們已經有了
09:54
(Laughter)
221
594260
4000
(笑聲)
09:58
I know, you're as bad as the sixth-graders.
222
598260
4000
我知道,你們和六年級學生一樣糟糕
10:02
(Laughter)
223
602260
2000
(笑聲)
10:04
The sixth-graders look at it and they say, "No."
224
604260
3000
六年級學生看牠時,他們說“不”
10:07
(Laughter)
225
607260
2000
(笑聲)
10:09
"You can call it a dinosaur,
226
609260
2000
”你可以把牠叫做恐龍
10:11
but look at the velociraptor: the velociraptor is cool."
227
611260
3000
但看看迅猛龍,牠們多酷啊。“
10:14
(Laughter)
228
614260
2000
(笑聲)
10:16
"The chicken is not."
229
616260
2000
“雞一點也不酷。“
10:18
(Laughter)
230
618260
2000
(笑聲)
10:20
So this is our problem,
231
620260
2000
因此,這是我們的問題
10:22
as you can imagine.
232
622260
3000
你可以想像
10:25
The chicken is a dinosaur.
233
625260
2000
雞是個恐龍
10:27
I mean it really is.
234
627260
2000
真的
10:29
You can't argue with it
235
629260
2000
確實是
10:31
because we're the classifiers and we've classified it that way.
236
631260
3000
因為我們的分類, 我們已經歸類這種方式
10:34
(Laughter)
237
634260
2000
(笑聲)
10:36
(Applause)
238
636260
4000
(掌聲)
10:41
But the sixth-graders demand it.
239
641260
2000
但是,六年級學生要求
10:43
"Fix the chicken."
240
643260
2000
“修理牠。“
10:45
(Laughter)
241
645260
2000
(笑聲)
10:47
So that's what I'm here to tell you about:
242
647260
2000
所以這就是我在這裡要告訴你的:
10:49
how we are going to fix a chicken.
243
649260
3000
我們將如何改造雞
10:52
So we have a number of ways
244
652260
3000
我們有很多的方法
10:55
that we actually can fix the chicken.
245
655260
5000
讓我們改造一隻雞
11:00
Because evolution works,
246
660260
2000
因為進化
11:02
we actually have some evolutionary tools.
247
662260
3000
我們其實有一些因進化產生的工具
11:05
We'll call them biological modification tools.
248
665260
3000
我們會叫他們"生物修改工具"
11:08
We have selection.
249
668260
2000
我們已經有選擇
11:10
And we know selection works.
250
670260
2000
而且我們知道選擇的工作方式
11:12
We started out with a wolf-like creature
251
672260
3000
我們開始了一個狼一樣的動物
11:15
and we ended up with a Maltese.
252
675260
3000
最後我們得到了馬爾濟斯(狗)。
11:18
I mean, that's --
253
678260
3000
那是
11:21
that's definitely genetic modification.
254
681260
4000
這絕對是基因改造
11:25
Or any of the other funny-looking little dogs.
255
685260
4000
或任何其他有趣的小狗
11:30
We also have transgenesis.
256
690260
2000
我們也有轉基因
11:32
Transgenesis is really cool too.
257
692260
2000
轉基因真的很酷
11:34
That's where you take a gene out of one animal and stick it in another one.
258
694260
3000
這就是你帶出一個基因從動物然後貼在另外一個
11:37
That's how people make GloFish.
259
697260
3000
這就是人們是如何做出螢光魚
11:40
You take a glow gene
260
700260
3000
你從珊瑚或水母
11:43
out of a coral or a jellyfish
261
703260
4000
拿出一個發光基因
11:47
and you stick it in a zebrafish,
262
707260
2000
和你把它加進斑馬魚
11:49
and, puff, they glow.
263
709260
2000
讓他們發光起來
11:51
And that's pretty cool.
264
711260
2000
這很酷
11:53
And they obviously make a lot of money off of them.
265
713260
3000
他們顯然賺了許多錢
11:56
And now they're making Glow-rabbits
266
716260
2000
現在,他們正在做發光兔
11:58
and Glow-all-sorts-of-things.
267
718260
2000
而發光的各種事物
12:00
I guess we could make a glow chicken.
268
720260
3000
我想我們可以做一個發光雞
12:03
(Laughter)
269
723260
2000
(笑聲)
12:05
But I don't think that'll satisfy the sixth-graders either.
270
725260
3000
但我不認為會滿足六年級學生
12:08
But there's another thing.
271
728260
2000
還有
12:10
There's what we call atavism activation.
272
730260
3000
還有就是我們所說的隔代遺傳
12:13
And atavism activation
273
733260
2000
隔代遺傳
12:15
is basically --
274
735260
2000
基本上是-
12:17
an atavism is an ancestral characteristic.
275
737260
4000
隔代遺傳的現象是一個祖先的特徵
12:21
You heard
276
741260
2000
你聽說
12:23
that occasionally children are born with tails,
277
743260
3000
偶爾孩子出生時有尾巴
12:26
and it's because it's an ancestral characteristic.
278
746260
4000
它是因為它的一個祖先的特徵
12:30
And so there are a number of atavisms
279
750260
3000
有一些隔代遺傳的現象發生
12:33
that can happen.
280
753260
2000
可以實現
12:35
Snakes are occasionally born with legs.
281
755260
3000
蛇是有腳偶爾出生
12:38
And here's an example.
282
758260
2000
而這裡的一個例子
12:40
This is a chicken with teeth.
283
760260
3000
這是有牙齒的雞
12:43
A fellow by the name of Matthew Harris
284
763260
2000
一位叫Matthew Harris的研究人員
12:45
at the University of Wisconsin in Madison
285
765260
3000
在威斯康星大學麥迪遜
12:48
actually figured out a way to stimulate
286
768260
3000
其實想出了一個辦法來刺激
12:51
the gene for teeth,
287
771260
3000
牙齒的基因
12:54
and so was able to actually turn the tooth gene on
288
774260
3000
因此她能夠活化牙齒基因
12:57
and produce teeth in chickens.
289
777260
3000
並產生有牙的雞
13:00
Now that's a good characteristic.
290
780260
3000
這是一個好的特點
13:03
We can save that one.
291
783260
3000
我們可以留那個
13:06
We know we can use that.
292
786260
2000
我們知道我們可以用它
13:08
We can make a chicken with teeth.
293
788260
3000
我們可以創造一隻有牙齒的雞
13:12
That's getting closer.
294
792260
2000
這離我們的目標越來越近
13:14
That's better than a glowing chicken.
295
794260
2000
比發光的雞還好
13:16
(Laughter)
296
796260
2000
(笑聲)
13:18
A friend of mine, a colleague of mine,
297
798260
2000
我的一個朋友, 一位同事
13:20
Dr. Hans Larsson at McGill University,
298
800260
2000
Hans Larsson 博士在 McGill 大學
13:22
is actually looking at atavisms.
299
802260
2000
其實是看隔代遺傳的現象
13:24
And he's looking at them
300
804260
2000
他在看他們
13:26
by looking at the embryo genesis of birds
301
806260
3000
通過觀察鳥類的胚胎起源
13:29
and actually looking at how they develop,
302
809260
3000
和實際看他們如何發展
13:32
and he's interested in how birds actually lost their tail.
303
812260
4000
他的興趣在如何鳥類失去了他們的尾巴
13:36
He's also interested in the transformation
304
816260
2000
他也對改造有興趣
13:38
of the arm, the hand, to the wing.
305
818260
3000
胳膊,手,在羽翼上
13:41
He's looking for those genes as well.
306
821260
2000
他在尋找這些基因
13:43
And I said, "Well, if you can find those,
307
823260
3000
我告訴他“如果你能找到
13:46
I can just reverse them
308
826260
2000
我可以改造一番
13:48
and make what I need to make for the sixth-graders."
309
828260
3000
做我需要給六年級學生做的”
13:51
And so he agreed.
310
831260
2000
所以他答應了
13:53
And so that's what we're looking into.
311
833260
2000
這就是我們正在研究
13:55
If you look at dinosaur hands,
312
835260
2000
如果你看恐龍的手
13:57
a velociraptor
313
837260
2000
一個迅猛龍
13:59
has that cool-looking hand with the claws on it.
314
839260
2000
長的酷的手與它的爪子
14:01
Archaeopteryx, which is a bird, a primitive bird,
315
841260
3000
始祖鳥,這是一種鳥,一種原始的鳥
14:04
still has that very primitive hand.
316
844260
3000
還有原始的手
14:07
But as you can see, the pigeon,
317
847260
2000
但你可以看到,鴿子
14:09
or a chicken or anything else, another bird,
318
849260
2000
或雞或另外一隻鳥
14:11
has kind of a weird-looking hand,
319
851260
3000
有一個奇怪模樣的手
14:14
because the hand is a wing.
320
854260
2000
因為手是翼
14:16
But the cool thing is
321
856260
2000
但是酷的是
14:18
that, if you look in the embryo,
322
858260
3000
如果你看在胚胎
14:21
as the embryo is developing
323
861260
2000
發展中的胚胎
14:23
the hand actually looks
324
863260
3000
手其實看上去
14:26
pretty much like the archaeopteryx hand.
325
866260
2000
幾乎像始祖鳥手
14:28
It has the three fingers, the three digits.
326
868260
3000
它有三個手指
14:31
But a gene turns on that actually fuses those together.
327
871260
3000
一個基因其實這些融合在一起
14:34
And so what we're looking for is that gene.
328
874260
3000
我們就在找那個基因
14:37
We want to stop that gene from turning on,
329
877260
2000
我們要阻止這種基因從隱性變成顯性
14:39
fusing those hands together,
330
879260
2000
把手融合在一起
14:41
so we can get a chicken that hatches out with a three-fingered hand,
331
881260
3000
所以我們可以得到一個雞孵化出一個三指手
14:44
like the archaeopteryx.
332
884260
2000
像始祖鳥
14:46
And the same goes for the tails.
333
886260
3000
而且尾巴也一樣
14:49
Birds have basically
334
889260
3000
鳥類基本上有
14:52
rudimentary tails.
335
892260
2000
很原始的尾巴
14:54
And so we know
336
894260
3000
所以我們知道
14:57
that in embryo,
337
897260
2000
在胚胎
14:59
as the animal is developing,
338
899260
2000
動物在發展
15:01
it actually has a relatively long tail.
339
901260
3000
它實際上有一個相對長的尾巴
15:04
But a gene turns on
340
904260
2000
但當一個基因開啟
15:06
and resorbs the tail, gets rid of it.
341
906260
3000
就漸漸擺脫尾巴
15:09
So that's the other gene we're looking for.
342
909260
3000
所以這是我們正在尋找其他的基因
15:12
We want to stop that tail from resorbing.
343
912260
4000
我們要制止這種尾巴
15:16
So what we're trying to do really
344
916260
3000
我們正在嘗試
15:19
is take our chicken,
345
919260
3000
拿雞
15:22
modify it
346
922260
2000
改造一番
15:24
and make the chickenosaurus.
347
924260
2000
做一隻“Chickenosaurus" (”雞龍“)
15:26
(Laughter)
348
926260
3000
(笑聲)
15:29
It's a cooler-looking chicken.
349
929260
3000
這是一只更酷的雞
15:32
But it's just the very basics.
350
932260
3000
這僅僅是最基礎的
15:35
So that really is what we're doing.
351
935260
2000
這確實是我們正在做的事情
15:37
And people always say, "Why do that?
352
937260
2000
人們一直問 "為什麼做那?
15:39
Why make this thing?
353
939260
2000
為什麼做這個東西?
15:41
What good is it?"
354
941260
2000
它有什麼好?“
15:43
Well, that's a good question.
355
943260
2000
嗯,這是一個很好的問題
15:45
Actually, I think it's a great way to teach kids
356
945260
2000
其實,關於進化生物學
15:47
about evolutionary biology
357
947260
2000
我覺得這是一個不錯的方式來教孩子
15:49
and developmental biology
358
949260
2000
與發育生物學
15:51
and all sorts of things.
359
951260
2000
和所有各式各樣的東西
15:53
And quite frankly, I think
360
953260
3000
很坦率地說,我覺得
15:56
if Colonel Sanders
361
956260
2000
如果肯德基老公公
15:58
was to be careful how he worded it,
362
958260
3000
小心的做廣告
16:01
he could actually advertise an extra piece.
363
961260
3000
他其實可以多賣一塊雞肉
16:04
(Laughter)
364
964260
4000
(笑聲)
16:08
Anyway --
365
968260
2000
無論如何
16:12
When our dino-chicken hatches,
366
972260
4000
當我們的恐龍雞孵化
16:16
it will be, obviously, the poster child,
367
976260
3000
它會是, 很明顯, 代表人物
16:19
or what you might call a poster chick,
368
979260
3000
或者 你有可能叫它代表雞
16:22
for technology, entertainment and design.
369
982260
3000
給 科技, 娛樂, 和設計(TED)
16:25
Thank you.
370
985260
2000
謝謝
16:27
(Applause)
371
987260
3000
(掌聲)
關於本網站

本網站將向您介紹對學習英語有用的 YouTube 視頻。 您將看到來自世界各地的一流教師教授的英語課程。 雙擊每個視頻頁面上顯示的英文字幕,從那裡播放視頻。 字幕與視頻播放同步滾動。 如果您有任何意見或要求,請使用此聯繫表與我們聯繫。

https://forms.gle/WvT1wiN1qDtmnspy7