研究发现，纽约啮齿动物进化成与人类鼠类相似的物种

研究发现，纽约啮齿动物进化成与人类鼠类相似的物种

Rats are becoming more like people — at least in New York.

老鼠正变得越来越像人类——至少在纽约是这样。

A research paper published last month in bioRxiv found that the genetic makeup of NYC’s rodent residents has shifted in response to the city.

上个月发表在bioRxiv上的一篇研究论文发现，纽约市啮齿动物居民的基因构成已经随着城市的变化而改变。

“We know rats have changed in incredible ways in their behavior and in their diet, just as human communities have changed,” study author and Columbia University population geneticist Arbel Harpak tells the Guardian. “In New York you can see them eat bagels and beer … they adapt in amazing ways.”

该研究的作者、哥伦比亚大学人口遗传学家阿贝尔·哈帕克告诉《卫报》:“我们知道老鼠的行为和饮食已经发生了令人难以置信的变化，就像人类社会也发生了变化一样。”“在纽约，你可以看到他们吃百吉饼、喝啤酒……他们以惊人的方式适应环境。”

To determine how much rodent DNA has altered to optimize the vermin for city living, Harpak and his team first captured 29 NYC rats using bacon, peanut butter and oats — borough rats’ favorite treats — to get them into traps, and then analyze their genomes. They then compared Rat Yorkers’ DNA with those from a northeastern province in China considered to be the brown rats’ birthplace and found that the New York pests’ diet, behavior and movement had all morphed to better suit life in Gotham.

为了确定啮齿动物的DNA有多少改变，以优化城市生活中的害虫，哈帕克和他的团队首先用培根、花生酱和燕麦(自治区老鼠最喜欢的食物)捕获了29只纽约老鼠，然后分析它们的基因组。然后，他们将纽约老鼠的DNA，与来自这种老鼠诞生地——中国东北部某省的老鼠DNA进行了比较，这种纽约害虫的饮食、行为和动作都发生了变化，更适合高谭市的生活。

“This could reflect the fact that urban rats have to move through highly artificial environments that are very different from natural habitats,” says Harpak. “So you could argue these gene changes might have evolved to help them move more easily through sewers and pipes.”

哈帕克说：“这可能反映了一个事实，即城市老鼠必须在高度人工化的环境中移动，而这些环境与自然栖息地截然不同。”“所以你可以认为，这些基因变化可能有助于它们更容易地穿过下水道和管道。”

Next up for Harpak is figuring out when these genetic changes took place in NYC furballs by analyzing a 125-year-old brown rat pelt from a private collection, he tells the Guardian. “That should give us a clearer indication of when these changes took place,” he says.

哈帕克告诉《卫报》，接下来他将通过分析来自私人收藏的125岁的棕色鼠皮，来弄清楚这些基因变化是何时在纽约皮球中发生的。“这应该能让我们更清楚地了解这些变化是何时发生的，”他表示。

In other recent rodent news, a separate study published this month in the journal Current Biology found that rats are far more empathetic than many realize. Researchers in the Netherlands discovered that, under certain conditions, rats will avoid hurting fellow rats — even if it means losing out on potential treats.

在最近的其他啮齿动物新闻中，本月发表在《当代生物学》(Current Biology)杂志上的另一项研究发现，老鼠远比许多人意识到的更有同理心。荷兰的研究人员发现，在某些情况下，老鼠会避免伤害同类——即使这意味着失去潜在的奖励。