动物与人类的相似之处.docVIP

动物与人类的相似之处 　　We humans like to think of ourselves as a special bunch， but it turns out we have plenty in common with other animals. Math？ A monkey can do it. Tool use？ Hey， even birds have mastered that. Culture？ Sorry， folks―chimps1） have it， too. Heres a list of some of the top parallels between humans and animal. You may be surprised at how similar we are to even our distant relations. 　　我们人类喜欢把自己当做特殊物种，然而事实证明，我们跟其他动物存在很多共同之处。算数？猴子也行。使用工具？嘿，连鸟都会。文化？抱歉，诸位―黑猩猩也有自己的文化。下面列举了人类和动物相似度最高的几个方面。你或许会感到惊讶，我们甚至与那些和我们亲缘关系很远的动物都那么相似。 　　Ears like a Katydid2） 　　Humans have complex ears to translate sound waves into mechanical vibrations3） our brains can process. So， as it turns out， do katydids. According to the research published Nov. 16， 2012 in the journal Science， katydid ears are arranged very similarly to human ears， with eardrums4）， lever systems to expand vibrations， and a fluid-filled vesicle5） where sensory cells wait to convey information to the nervous system. Katydid ears are a bit simpler than ours， but they can also hear far above the human range. 　　美洲大螽斯的耳朵 　　人类的耳朵构造复杂，能将声波转换成大脑可以处理的机械振动。事实表明，美洲大螽斯也长着这样的耳朵。根据《科学》杂志2012年11月16日刊发的一项研究，大螽斯的耳朵与人耳构造极其相似，也有起放大振动作用的鼓膜和杠杆系统，还有一个充满液体的耳囊，其内部的感觉细胞等待着把声音信息传递给神经系统。大螽斯耳朵的构造略比人耳的要简单，但其听力范围却远远超出人耳。 　　The Facial Expressions of a Mouse 　　Do you make weird faces when youre in pain？ So do mice. In 2010， researchers at McGill University and the University of British Columbia in Canada found that mice subjected to moderate pain grimace， just like humans. The researchers said the results could be used to avoid unnecessary suffering for lab animals by letting researchers know when something hurts the rodents6）. 　　Brain like a Pigeon 　　Gamblers in Vegas have something in common with pigeons on the sidewalk， and its not just a fascination with shiny objects. In fact， pigeons make gambles just like humans， making choices that leave them with less money in the long run for the complicated promise of a big payout. 　　When given a c