Four billion years of evolution in six minutes | Prosanta Chakrabarty

譯者: Fish Mobius 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

如果我們從猴子進化而來， 為什麽現在仍然還有猴子?

If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?

(Laughter)

Well, because we're not monkeys,

嗯，因為我們不是猴子。

we're fish.

我們是魚。

(Laughter)

了解你是一條魚而不是猴子，

Now, knowing you're a fish and not a monkey

對理解我們從哪裏來非常重要。

is actually really important to understanding where we came from.

I teach one of the largest evolutionary biology classes in the US,

我教生物進化論的班級 是美國最大的班級之一。

and when my students finally understand why I call them fish all the time,

當我的學生們最終理解了 為什麽我總叫他們魚時，

then I know I'm getting my job done.

那我就明白我達到教學目標了。

But I always have to start my classes by dispelling some hardwired myths,

但我總是得透過打破一些 根深蒂固的觀點來開始我的課堂，

because without really knowing it, many of us were taught evolution wrong.

因為在沒有真正了解進化論前， 大多數人被灌輸了錯誤的進化觀念。

For instance, we're taught to say "the theory of evolution."

比如，我們被教導用 「進化論」 這個詞。

There are actually many theories, and just like the process itself,

實際上，有非常多的理論， 並且就像這個進程本身，

the ones that best fit the data are the ones that survive to this day.

那些最合適的數據是就是 那些被保存到如今的數據。

The one we know best is Darwinian natural selection.

其中最廣為人知的理論之一 就是達爾文的「物競天擇」。

That's the process by which organisms that best fit an environment

在這種進化方式中， 最適應環境的生物

survive and get to reproduce,

會生存下來，並且得到繁衍，

while those that are less fit slowly die off.

而那些相對不適應環境的生物 漸漸地走向消亡。

And that's it.

就是這樣。

Evolution is as simple as that, and it's a fact.

進化就是這麽簡單的事實。

Evolution is a fact as much as the "theory of gravity."

進化如同「重力理論」，是個事實。

You can prove it just as easily.

你可以很容易地證明它。

You just need to look at your bellybutton

你只需要看看你的肚臍，

that you share with other placental mammals,

那是你和其他 胎生哺乳動物一樣的地方，

or your backbone that you share with other vertebrates,

或者看看你的脊椎骨， 那是你和其他脊椎動物一樣的地方，

or your DNA that you share with all other life on earth.

又或者你的 DNA，

那是你和地球上 其他的生物相似的地方。

Those traits didn't pop up in humans.

這些特徵並不就只出現在人類身上，

They were passed down from different ancestors

而是從不同的祖先 遺傳給所有的子孫的，

to all their descendants, not just us.

不僅僅只有我們。

But that's not really how we learn biology early on, is it?

但這些並不是我們早期開始 了解到的生物學，不是嗎？

We learn plants and bacteria are primitive things,

我們知道植物和細菌是原生生物，

and fish give rise to amphibians followed by reptiles and mammals,

然後是魚類，進一步到兩棲類， 進而是爬行動物和哺乳動物，

and then you get you,

之後到人類自己，

this perfectly evolved creature at the end of the line.

在進化的時間軸終點 完美地成為進化的生物。

但生命並不是在一軸線進化的，

But life doesn't evolve in a line,

and it doesn't end with us.

也不會在人類這階段就終止。

But we're always shown evolution portrayed something like this,

但我們總是被灌輸這樣描述的進化論，

a monkey and a chimpanzee,

比如：猴子，大猩猩，

some extinct humans,

一些消失的類人猿，

all on a forward and steady march to becoming us.

通過穩定的進化，然後成為我們。

But they don't become us any more than we would become them.

但牠們並不會成為我們， 我們也不會成為牠們。

We're also not the goal of evolution.

我們也不是進化的終極目標。

But why does it matter?

但為什麽這這麽重要呢？

Why do we need to understand evolution the right way?

為什麽我們需要 用正確的方式來理解進化呢？

Well, misunderstanding evolution has led to many problems,

其實，我們對進化的誤解 已經產生了很多的問題，

but you can't ask that age-old question,

但你不會問這樣古老的問題：

"Where are we from?"

「我們從哪裏來？」

without understanding evolution the right way.

尤其當你沒有 以正確的方式理解進化時。

對進化的誤解導致了許多

Misunderstanding it has led to many convoluted and corrupted views

我們對地球上其餘生物 產生了破壞性的扭曲觀念，

of how we should treat other life on earth,

and how we should treat each other

以及我們彼此在種族 和性別上的對待方式。

in terms of race and gender.

So let's go back four billion years.

讓我們回溯四十億年。

This is the single-celled organism we all came from.

這些單細胞有機體是我們的起源。

首先，它們演變成其他的單細胞生命，

At first, it gave rise to other single-celled life,

but these are still evolving to this day,

但這些單細胞生物今天仍然在進化，

and some would say the Archaea and Bacteria

而有些人會説細菌幾乎組成了

that make up most of this group

這個星球上最成功的族群。

is the most successful on the planet.

They are certainly going to be here well after us.

牠們在我們消失後， 一定還會存在的。

About three billion years ago, multicellularity evolved.

大約在三百萬年前， 進化出了多細胞生物。

This includes your fungi and your plants and your animals.

這包括真菌、植物，和動物。

The first animals to develop a backbone were fishes.

第一種被演化出脊椎的動物是魚類。

So technically, all vertebrates are fishes,

以科學的角度而言， 所有的脊椎動物都是魚。

so technically, you and I are fish.

所以，嚴格來說，你和我都是魚。

So don't say I didn't warn you.

所以別説我沒提醒過你們。

One fish lineage came onto land

一些魚類來到岸上，然後演變成

and gave rise to, among other things, the mammals and reptiles.

其餘的生物，哺乳動物、爬行動物。

Some reptiles become birds, some mammals become primates,

一些爬行動物變成了鳥類， 一些哺乳動物變成了靈長動物，

some primates become monkeys with tails,

一些靈長動物變成了有尾巴的猴子，

and others become the great apes, including a variety of human species.

其牠的變成了猿類，包括不同的人種，

So you see, we didn't evolve from monkeys,

但我們並非由猴子進化而來， 而是和牠們擁有同一個祖先。

but we do share a common ancestor with them.

All the while, life around us kept evolving:

與此同時，我們周圍的生命 也在一直進化：

more bacteria, more fungi, lots of fish, fish, fish.

更多的細菌、真菌， 更多的魚、魚、魚。

If you couldn't tell -- yes, they're my favorite group.

如果你不知道—— 是的，牠們是我最喜歡的族群。

(Laughter)

As life evolves, it also goes extinct.

生命在進化，也在消亡。

Most species just last for a few million years.

大多數的物種存在不到一百萬年。

So you see, most life on earth that we see around us today

所以，今天我們在地球上 看到的周圍的大多數的生物

are about the same age as our species.

和我們有著差不多的歷史。

So it's hubris, it's self-centered to think,

因此以自我為中心的思考是傲慢的：

"Oh, plants and bacteria are primitive,

「噢，植物和細菌是原生生物，

and we've been here for an evolutionary minute,

而我們已經進化了一陣子，

so we're somehow special."

所以我們是些特別的物種。」

Think of life as being this book, an unfinished book for sure.

想想生命這部書，

一定是一本尚未完成的書。

We're just seeing the last few pages of each chapter.

我們僅僅看到了 每一章節的最後幾頁。

If you look out on the eight million species

如果你仔細觀察 和我們生長在同一星球的

that we share this planet with,

八百萬種生物，

think of them all being four billion years of evolution.

牠們已經有四十億年的進化歷程了。

They're all the product of that.

牠們是進化的產物。

Think of us all as young leaves on this ancient and gigantic tree of life,

想想我們彼此只是這古老巨大的 生命樹中的年輕葉子，

我們彼此被看不見的枝幹連接著，

all of us connected by invisible branches not just to each other,

連接著的不僅僅是我們，

but to our extinct relatives and our evolutionary ancestors.

還有已經滅種的近親們，

以及我們進化的祖先。

As a biologist, I'm still trying to learn, with others,

作為一名生物學家，

我還在和其他人一起學習，

how everyone's related to each other, who is related to whom.

我們每個人是如何和其他人相連，

誰又和誰相關聯。

Perhaps it's better still

也許這樣想更好，

我們只是一隻離開水的小魚。

to think of us as a little fish out of water.

Yes, one that learned to walk and talk,

是的，一條學會了走路和説話的魚，

but one that still has a lot of learning to do

但我們還有很多事情需要探究，

about who we are and where we came from.

關於我們是誰，

我們從哪裏來。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）