評論
打印
Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
現在來聽一段有關你剛剛聽到的話題的演講。
The evidence that the lines in the Sinosauropteryx fossil represent feathers is very strong.
中華龍鳥化石里的線條代表羽毛的證據非常充分。
The arguments of the critics are unconvincing.
批評者們的論據沒有說服力。
First, it is unlikely that the lines are a result of the decomposition of the dinosaur's skin,
首先，線條不可能是恐龍皮膚分解的結果，
because we don't see any such decomposition in the fossils of other animals buried at the same site.
因為我們沒有發現任何埋在同一地點的其他動物化石上有那樣的分解。
In fact, the fossils of many other animals buried at the site show evidence that their functional skin structures have been beautifully preserved in volcanic ash.
事實上，埋在同一地點的其他動物的化石證明他們的功能皮膚結構在火山灰里完美地保存著。
The well-preserved condition of the other fossils makes it likely that the Sinosauropteryx's lines are also well-preserved functional structures,
其他化石保存完好的狀態讓中華龍鳥的線條也是保存良好的功能性結構成為可能，
possibly feathers, and that they are not fibers caused by decomposition.
也許是羽毛，他們不是分解所產生的纖維。
Second, the idea that the lines represent frills...well, there is an important chemical difference between feathers and frills.
第二，這些線條代表褶邊的想法......好吧，在羽毛和褶邊之間有一個重要的化學區別。
Feathers contain a great deal of a protein called Beta-keratin.
羽毛含義大量的叫做角蛋白的蛋白質。
Frills, on the other hand, do not contain beta-keratin.
褶邊，另一方面，不含義角蛋白。
Our chemical analyses suggest that the Sinosauropteryx structures did contain beta-keratin.
我們的化學分析指出，中華龍鳥結構確實含有角蛋白。
So that indicates that the structures were feathers, not frills.
所以那表明這個結構是羽毛，而不是褶邊。
Third, feathers can be used for other functions than flight and thermoregulation.
第三，羽毛除了飛行和調節體溫之外還能被用于其他功能。
Think of a bird, like peacock, for example.
想象一種鳥，比如孔雀。
The peacock has long, colorful feathers in its tail.
孔雀的尾巴上有很長的、彩色的羽毛。
And it displays its tail in order to attract a mate.
它展示它的尾巴是為了吸引一個配偶。
That's a distinct function of feathers called the display function.
那是羽毛的一個獨特的功能——顯示功能。
Recently, we have been able to do analyses on the Sinosauropteryx structures that show us that the structures were colorful.
最近，我們能對中華龍鳥的結構進行分析，那給我們展示了其結構是多彩的。
They were orange and white.
它們是橙白相間的。
The fact that they were colorful strongly supports the idea that they were feathers that this dinosaur use for display.
它們是彩色的這一事實有力地證明了它們是被龍鳥用來展示的羽毛這一觀點。
