科学家利用古老基因估算人类与尼安德特人之间的接触
📖 逐句对照翻译
Scientists have used ancient genes to learn more details about contact between Neanderthals and humans tens of thousands of years ago.
科学家利用古代基因，进一步了解了数万年前尼安德特人与人类接触的更多细节。
Results of two recent studies estimate the two groups likely met and began mating about 45,000 years ago.
两项近期研究的结果估计，这两个群体可能在大约4.5万年前相遇并开始交配。
Modern humans – also known as Homo sapiens – began in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and later started spreading to Europe, Asia and other places.
现代人类——也被称为智人——数十万年前起源于非洲，后来开始向欧洲、亚洲和其他地方扩散。
Scientists believe that at some point, they met and mated with Neanderthals.
科学家们认为，在某个时期，他们曾与尼安德特人相遇并交配。
The mixing of these groups had a major influence on humans’ genetic code.
这些群体的交融对人类的基因密码产生了重大影响。
However, scientists do not know exactly when or how the two groups interacted.
然而，科学家们并不清楚这两个群体具体在何时或如何互动。
But the two new studies provide some additional details about the timing of this contact.
但这两项新研究为这种接触的时间提供了更多细节。
One group of scientists examined genetic material from three female and three male Homo sapiens individuals who lived around 45,000 years ago.
一组科学家研究了大约4.5万年前生活的三女三男智人的遗传物质。
Reuters news agency reported that research involved the oldest genes from Homo sapiens ever examined, or sequenced.
路透社报道称，这项研究涉及迄今为止所检测或测序的最古老的智人基因。
Some of the genes came from bones found in a cave in the central German village of Ranis.
部分基因来自德国中部拉尼斯村一个洞穴中发现的骨骼。
Other material came from a woman believed to have lived at around the same time in a cave in a mountainous area of what is now the Czech Republic.
其他材料来自一位据信生活在同一时期的女性，她曾居住在现今捷克共和国山区的一个洞穴中。
Researchers estimated the period of mixing between Neanderthals and humans at about 49,000 to 45,000 years ago.
研究人员估计，尼安德特人与人类之间的混血时期大约在4.9万至4.5万年前。
The findings were recently published in a study in Nature.
这些发现最近发表在《自然》杂志的一项研究中。
A second group of researchers examined genetic material from 300 present-day and ancient Homo sapiens.
第二组研究人员检查了300名现代及古代智人的遗传物质。
This included 59 individuals who lived between 2,000 and 45,000 years ago.
这包括生活在2000至45000年前的59个个体。
That study, published in the journal Science, estimated the period of mixing at about 50,500 to 43,500 years ago.
这项发表在《科学》杂志上的研究估计，混合时期大约在5万500年至4万3500年前。
The scientists said their new findings on the mixing and mating of the groups suggested the activities happened a little more recently than thought in the past.
科学家们表示，他们对这些群体混居和交配的新发现表明，这些活动发生的时间比过去认为的要晚一些。
They believe the contact continued over many generations.
他们认为这种接触持续了许多代。
Priya Moorjani was co-writer of the study appearing in Science.
普里娅·穆尔贾尼是这项发表在《科学》杂志上的研究的合著者。
She is an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley.
她是加州大学伯克利分校分子与细胞生物学助理教授。
She told Reuters, “Genetic data from these samples really helps us paint a picture in more and more detail.”
她告诉路透社：“这些样本的基因数据确实帮助我们越来越详细地描绘出一幅图景。”
The team noted that it is difficult to know the exact nature of the interactions between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals based on the examined data.
研究团队指出，根据所审查的数据，很难确定智人与尼安德特人之间互动的确切性质。
The researchers also could not confirm exactly where the mixing and mating happened.
研究人员也无法确认混合和交配究竟发生在哪里。
However, they believe it was most likely somewhere in the Middle East.
然而，他们认为它最有可能在中东的某个地方。
The researchers noted most modern humans still have genetic material from Neanderthals that accounts for an estimated one to two percent of their DNA.
研究人员指出，大多数现代人类仍然携带着尼安德特人的遗传物质，据估计，这些遗传物质占其DNA的1%到2%。
They said modern-day genetic traits linked to skin color, hair color and even nose shape can relate back to the Neanderthals.
他们说，现代人与肤色、发色甚至鼻型有关的基因特征都可以追溯到尼安德特人。
Our genetic makeup also includes links to another group of human ancestors called Denisovans.
我们的基因构成中还包括与另一群被称为丹尼索瓦人的人类祖先的联系。
Moorjani noted that the history of Neanderthals living outside Africa for thousands of years likely gave them a greater ability to deal with climate and diseases in new environments.
摩尔贾尼指出，尼安德特人在非洲以外生活了数千年的历史，可能赋予了他们更强的能力，以应对新环境中的气候和疾病。
“Some of their genes may have been beneficial to modern humans,” she added.
她补充道：“他们的一些基因可能对现代人类有益。”
Rick Potts is director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins program.
里克·波茨是史密森尼学会人类起源项目的主任。
He was not involved in the new research.
他没有参与这项新研究。
Potts told The Associated Press he hopes future genetic studies can help scientists learn even more details about the interactions of Neanderthals and modern humans.
波茨告诉美联社，他希望未来的基因研究能帮助科学家了解更多关于尼安德特人和现代人类互动的细节。
He said, “Out of many really compelling areas of scientific investigation, one of them is: well, who are we?”
他说：“在许多非常引人入胜的科学研究领域中，其中之一就是：我们是谁？”
I’m Caty Weaver.
我是凯蒂·韦弗。
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters and Nature.
布莱恩·林恩根据美联社、路透社和《自然》杂志的报道，为VOA英语学习频道撰写了这篇报道。
