How Life on Earth Adapts to You and Me | Shane Campbell-Staton | TED

譯者: 麗玲 辛 審譯者: Helen Chang

So I'm an evolutionary biologist.

我是演化生物學家。

The thing I love most about evolution is the story.

我最喜歡演化的地方是它的故事性。

Evolution is a single story that links every species,

演化本身就是個故事，

將生命之樹上的每個物種、 每個支幹連接在一起。

every branch in the tree of life together.

It's this sense of connectivity with the rest of the living world.

它讓我感受到與其他生物世界的連結。

It's like one of the reasons why I became a biologist in the first place.

這也是我最初想成為 生物學家的原因之一。

Now, when Charles Darwin, my man Chuck D,

當我的好友查克，查爾斯·達爾文，

when he first proposed this theory ...

當他首次提出這個理論...

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

When he first proposed the theory of evolution,

當他首次提出演化論時，

he imagined it as this slow, gradual process

他想像演化是個緩慢、漸進的過程，

that played out over thousands or millions of years.

需要數千或數百萬年才能展開。

But now, in the face of all the different changes

但現在，因應人類對地球 所做出的各種改變，

that we are making to the planet,

we're finding that evolution is rapidly altering species around our planet

我們發現演化正在 迅速改變地球上的物種，

in order to live alongside us.

以便與人類共同生活。

And in our short time on this planet,

在人類來到地球的這段短暫時間裡，

we have trimmed, trained

我們以極快的速度 修剪、調整、重組生命之樹。

and reshuffled the tree of life at breakneck speed.

10,000 years ago,

一萬年前，

we had already learned how to manipulate the basic building blocks of life,

我們就學會如何操縱 生命的基本組成部分，

turning wild plants and animals into domesticated forms

馴化野生動植物

to use for our own purposes.

以供我們自己使用。

With mass global transportation,

透過大規模的全球運輸，

we've reshuffled species around the globe,

我們將物種重新配置、 擺放到全球各地，

bringing them together and forming all new ecological interactions.

使牠們聚集在一起， 形成全新的生態交流。

And on top of that,

此外，

we've fundamentally altered Earth's surface and its climate

透過工業化農業、城市化、 污染和全球暖化，

through industrialized agriculture, urbanization,

我們從根本上改變了 地球的地表和氣候。

pollution and global warming.

Now I've dedicated my life to trying to understand

我投入所有心力，試圖理解

the lasting biological impacts of our human footprint.

人類足跡對生物的長久影響。

One of the things that I've learned along the way is that life is a paradox.

一路走來，我學到一件事， 生命是個矛盾體。

It's simultaneously incredibly fragile

生命既非常脆弱

and relentlessly resilient.

又無比堅韌。

The thing that impresses me most

讓我印象最深刻的是，

is that despite our devastating impacts on this planet,

儘管我們對地球造成了毀滅性的影響，

I'm constantly in awe of the surprising, incredible,

我始終感到敬畏，

看著生命總以出人意料、令人驚嘆的 神奇方式進行改變、演化和適應

amazing ways that life is changing,

evolving and adapting

to a time that's literally defined by our species' impact on the planet.

這個由人類對地球的實際影響 所定義的時代。

We now live in a time where one half of the human species lives in cities.

現在，我們生活的時代， 有一半的人類居住在城市。

As urban areas grow and expand,

隨著城市地區的增長和擴展，

life around the world,

全球範圍內的非人類生命正在改變，

non-human life, is changing

to figure out how to exploit the novel resources

以便找到可利用的新資源，

and avoid the potential dangers.

並避免潛在危險。

My research group and my colleagues have been studying these small lizards

我的研究小組和同事一直在研究

一種叫做變色蜥的小蜥蜴， 分布在波多黎各島上。

called anoles

that occur across the island of Puerto Rico.

Now, most of the time,

大部分時間

these lizards spend their time running up and down trees,

這些蜥蜴在樹上跑來跑去，

chasing after insects, doing the things you know, that lizards do.

追逐昆蟲，做蜥蜴習慣做的事。

But in cities, they have evolved at the genetic level.

但在城市中，牠們 在基因層面上進化了。

They've evolved longer limbs and larger sticky toe pads

牠們進化出較長的四肢 和更大的黏性趾墊，

to utilize the sides of buildings

以利用建築物的側面、

and artificial surfaces like glass and metal and concrete as their homes.

玻璃、金屬和混凝土等人造表面 作為牠們的棲息地。

They've also evolved greater heat tolerance

牠們還進化出更大的耐熱能力，

to deal with the high temperatures that define dense urban environments,

以應對密集城市環境所特有的高溫，

what we call urban heat islands.

我們稱之為城市熱島效應。

And what's more, is that multiple populations of this species

更重要的是，這個物種的多個族群

have come up with the same solutions over and over again, independently.

一再獨立地找到了相同的解決方案。

Showing us that not only is the process of evolution very rapid sometimes,

這告訴我們，演化的過程 有時不僅非常迅速，

but in some cases it can also be quite predictable.

而且在某些情況下，還相當可預料。

Now, urbanization is not our only impact on this planet,

城市化並不是我們 對這個星球唯一的影響，

far from it.

遠遠不止於此。

Perhaps our earliest and longest-lasting impact

也許我們最早且持續時間最長的影響

has been through our want and need

是出於食物和娛樂的渴望與需要 而獵殺其他物種。

to hunt other species for food and for sport.

I spent the last few years studying the evolution of African elephants

在過去的幾年裡，

我研究了非洲象因應偷獵象牙的演化。

in response to ivory poaching.

In Mozambique,

在莫三比克，

there was a civil war from 1977 to 1992.

1977 年至 1992 年 發生了一場內戰。

During this time, in Gorongosa National Park,

在這段時間裡，在戈龍戈薩國家公園，

elephants in particular were reduced by 90 percent

光是大象就減少了 90％，

because of the ivory trade, being targeted for their trademark tusks.

因為象牙貿易，牠們的 招牌長牙成為獵殺的目標。

Now, under most circumstances, African elephants have tusks,

在大多數情況下，非洲象都有長牙，

all males have tusks,

所有雄性都有長牙，

the vast majority of females have tusks.

絕大多數雌性也有長牙。

But there is a small number of females that carry a gene

但少數雌性擁有某種基因，

that prevents them from growing their tusks.

使牠們無法長出長牙。

But after the Mozambican Civil War,

然而，在莫三比克內戰之後，

one-half of the surviving females, completely tuskless.

倖存的雌性中有一半完全沒有長牙。

Now, during a time where individuals are being hunted

在某個時期，因為人類針對某種特徵，

specifically for a trait,

如擁有象牙，進行獵殺，

having tusks,

not having that trait puts you at a decided advantage

不具備該特徵將就讓生物 在生存能力上佔有明顯優勢。

in your ability to survive.

That in and of itself is natural selection.

這本身就是自然選擇。

Those surviving females then went on

那些倖存的雌性

隨後將該基因傳給許多女兒。

and passed that gene on to many of their daughters.

That turnover of genes across generations,

這種代際之間的基因變化， 就是快速演化，

that is rapid evolution

in this long-lived species in response to a decade and a half

是這個長壽物種對人類 長達十五年狩獵的因應。

of human hunting.

I remember going to Gorongosa for the first time

我還記得第一次去戈龍戈薩時，

and participating in these elephant captures

我參與捕捉大象的行動，

where we collar these individuals

我們給這些大象套上項圈，

and collect data and track their movements.

收集數據並追蹤牠們的移動。

And we came across this female,

我們遇到了一頭雌象，

and she's old enough where we know that she had survived

她已經很老了，我們知道 她在莫三比克內戰中倖存下來。

the Mozambican Civil War.

Now we sedated this female and as we were there,

我們麻醉了這頭雌象，

當我們在收集數據

sort of working up all of these data,

looking into her big, groggy, sleepy eyes,

並觀察她那雙迷懞、想睡的眼睛時，

and it really struck me, the impact that our species can have

我真切地感受到了我們的物種 對其餘生物世界的影響。

on the rest of the living world.

This female, she lived during a time

這頭雌象生活的年代，

that saw nine out of ten of the members of her species slaughtered.

她的種族成員十分之九被屠殺。

But she survived.

但她倖存下來了，

She grew up, she went on and had children, had grandchildren,

成年，並生下了孩子、孫子，

became the matriarch of a family group.

成為一個家族的女族長。

But what strikes me the most about this story

但這個故事最讓我感到震撼的是，

is that the reason

造成所有破壞和屠殺的原因

for all of that destruction and that slaughter

was simply because

只是因為人類喜歡 用大象的牙齒製作小玩意，

humans like to make trinkets out of their teeth.

Which is about the most

這大概是我必須大聲疾呼的 最荒謬、最傷心的事。

ridiculous and sad thing I've ever had to say out loud.

But we live in a time where even the simplest human whims

然而，在我們生活的時代， 即使是最單純的人類喜好

can fundamentally alter the evolutionary fate

也可能從根本上改變地球上 最大的陸地動物的演化命運。

of the largest land animal on our planet.

And many of these stories of rapid evolution are sad,

許多關於快速演化的故事令人悲傷，

but some also offer us hope for our own future on this planet.

但有些故事也為我們 在地球上的未來帶來希望。

In nature's struggle to deal with all the nonsense that we're throwing at her

在大自然努力應對我們 各種為所欲為的胡鬧時，

in all these different ways,

some of those solutions may lead us to novel insights

其中某些解方可能 會帶給我們新的洞見，

that may help our bodies

也許能幫助我們的身體

deal with things that we currently struggle with

應對我們目前困擾的問題，

that will allow us to survive all the different changes

在我們對地球所做出的 各種改變後，還能生存下來。

that we're making on this planet.

For instance, fast forward to the year 2040,

例如，快轉到 2040 年，

it's estimated that there will be about 30.2 million new cancer cases

估計光那一年

就會有約 3020 萬例 新診斷的癌症病例。

diagnosed in that year alone.

Now, we know a lot about the genes and mutations

現在，我們很了解許多會引起癌症

that are responsible for many cancers

或使個人更容易得癌症的基因和突變。

or make an individual more predisposed to getting cancer.

We know a lot less about potential genetic mutations or variation

但對可能讓個人對癌症更具抵抗力

that may make an individual more resistant

或復原力的潛在基因突變 或變異，我們知之甚少。

or more resilient to cancer.

But perhaps nature has already found the solution.

也許，大自然已經找到了解決方案。

April 26th, 1986,

1986 年 4 月 26 日，

the day before my very first birthday.

就是我出生前一天，

There was an explosion in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

車諾比核電廠發生了爆炸事故。

Humans were immediately evacuated from that region,

人們立即從該地區疏散，

what is now called the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

現在這個地區被稱為車諾比禁區。

But in the decades since,

但是幾十年來，

wildlife has actually moved into the Chernobyl exclusion zone

野生動物其實已經遷入車諾比禁區，

and has proliferated.

並繁衍生息。

So my research group and colleagues,

我的研究小組和同事們

we have been studying the wolves that live in the Chernobyl exclusion zone,

一直在研究生活在車諾比禁區的狼，

trying to understand how they have responded biologically

我們想了解在多世代暴露於 高輻射強度的環境下，

to now generations of exposure to elevated radiation levels.

這些狼生理上如何因應。

Now, if we consider a wolf pup that's born in the Chernobyl exclusion zone,

考量一下，在車諾比禁區出生的幼狼，

it lives every single day of its life, from the time it's born,

從出生開始，每天的生活

gaining increased doses of exposure from its environment.

都會從環境中得到累加的輻射劑量。

With every meal that that animal eats,

每一次進食，

it then gets another dose of radiation from prey species.

它還會從獵物身上 獲得額外的輻射劑量。

And we can see that radiation accumulating in this wolf population

我們可以看到輻射 以銫 137 的形式

in the form of cesium-137.

在狼群中積累。

And one of the things that our data are showing us

我們的數據顯示之一是

is that the fastest-changing regions of the Chernobyl wolf genome

車諾比狼基因組中變化最快的部位

occur in and around genes that we know are involved in cancer

就出現在已知與癌症相關、

or in the mammalian anti-tumor immune response.

或在哺乳動物 抗腫瘤免疫反應的基因周圍。

We're now working with biomedical companies

我們現在正與生物醫學公司

and cancer biologists

和癌症生物學家合作，

to understand the physiological impacts of these mutations

以了解這些突變的生理影響，

with the hope that at least some of these changes

希望至少其中一些變化

may lead us to novel therapeutics

能夠帶來新的療法，

that might result in new treatments for cancer in humans.

為人類的癌症提供新的醫治方法。

In this grand story of life,

在這壯麗的生命故事中，

we're writing a brand new chapter.

我們正在書寫一個全新的篇章。

Now our chapter in this story is not a pretty one, let's be honest.

坦白說，我們的篇章並不美好。

As a matter of fact, there's a distinct possibility

事實上，人類有可能

that our species could bring about Earth's sixth major mass extinction event.

引發地球的第六次 大規模物種滅絕事件。

So, you know, that sucks.

所以，你知道，這很糟糕。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It'd be messed up if I had just left the talk like that, I was like,

如果我就這樣結束演講， 這簡直亂七八糟，好像是說：

「希望你們自己引以為傲，再見。」

"Hope you're all proud of yourselves, bye."

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

But luckily I don't have to leave the talk like that

幸好，我不必那樣結束演講，

because this chapter is still being written.

因為這個篇章仍在書寫中。

Our chapter in this story of life is still happening,

生命故事中，我們的篇章仍在進行，

which means that there are still many possibilities ahead of us.

這意味著未來我們仍有許多可能性。

We have the possibility to act,

我們有能力採取行動，

the possibility to fight for those species

有能力為那些無法 自我保護的物種而戰。

that don't have the ability to fight for themselves.

We have the possibility to turn our chapter in this story

我們有可能將這個篇章轉變為

into one of redemption,

救贖、希望的一章，

one of hope and one of care for this epic legacy of life

對這星球上我們所繼承的 壯麗生命遺產，充滿關懷的一章。

on this planet that we've inherited.

A legacy, by the way, that's four billion years in the making.

順便說一句，這是一項 歷經四十億年才形成的遺產。

Which brings up the possibility that we can pass on a world to our kids

這也帶來了一個可能性，

我們可以將這個世界傳給我們的子孫，

and our grandkids

so that they can enjoy and revel in the incredible biodiversity

讓他們享受並陶醉於演化故事所創造的

that the story of evolution has produced.

不可思議的生物多樣性。

What Charles Darwin referred to as “endless forms most beautiful.”

正如查爾斯·達爾文所說的： 「無窮美麗的形態。」

One way or another, what we do matters.

無論如何，我們的作為事關重大。

We live in a time

生活在這個時代，

when we are literally etching our decisions

我們名副其實地正將我們的決定

into the DNA of the species that live in, on and around us.

刻畫在我們身上及 週遭生活的物種 DNA 裏。

When we're considering this story that we're writing,

想一想這個我們正書寫的故事，

what do we want our chapter in this grand story of life to be?

在這壯麗生命故事、我們的章節裏， 我們希望留下什麼呢？

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）