TED2018
Prosanta Chakrabarty: Four billion years of evolution in six minutes
普罗萨塔 · 查克雷巴迪: 六分钟了解四十亿年的进化史
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人类是从猴子进化而来，还是从鱼类进化而来？在这个启发式的演讲中，鱼类研究学者同时也是TED研究员，普罗萨塔·查克雷巴迪，将打破一些根深蒂固的进化传说，鼓励我们记住，在复杂的四十亿年的进化中，我们只是一小部分而不是终点。“我们不是进化的终极目标，”查克雷巴迪说，“想想我们只是古老的巨大的生命树上年轻的叶子，被看不见的枝干所连接，不仅仅是连接我们彼此，更是与一些我们已经消失的近亲和进化的祖先相连。”
Prosanta Chakrabarty - Ichthyologist
Prosanta Chakrabarty studies fish to help explain the evolution of human beings and our planet. Full bio
Prosanta Chakrabarty studies fish to help explain the evolution of human beings and our planet. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
如果我们从猴子进化而来，
为什么现在仍然有猴子？
为什么现在仍然有猴子？
00:13
If we evolved from monkeys,
why are there still monkeys?
why are there still monkeys?
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00:17
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
00:18
Well, because we're not monkeys,
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因为我们并不是猴子进化来的，
我们是鱼。
00:20
we're fish.
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00:22
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
00:23
Now, knowing you're a fish
and not a monkey
and not a monkey
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了解你是一条鱼而不是一只猴子，
对于理解我们从哪里来非常重要。
00:26
is actually really important
to understanding where we came from.
to understanding where we came from.
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我在教的一个班，是在美国学习
生物进化论的最大的班级之一。
生物进化论的最大的班级之一。
00:30
I teach one of the largest
evolutionary biology classes in the US,
evolutionary biology classes in the US,
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当我的学生们最终理解了
为什么我总叫他们鱼的时候，
为什么我总叫他们鱼的时候，
00:34
and when my students finally understand
why I call them fish all the time,
why I call them fish all the time,
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00:38
then I know I'm getting my job done.
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我明白我的目的达到了。
但我总是不得不通过打破一些
根深蒂固的传说来开始我的授课，
根深蒂固的传说来开始我的授课，
00:40
But I always have to start my classes
by dispelling some hardwired myths,
by dispelling some hardwired myths,
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00:45
because without really knowing it,
many of us were taught evolution wrong.
many of us were taught evolution wrong.
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因为在没有真正了解进化论前，我们
大多数人都被灌输了错误的进化观念。
大多数人都被灌输了错误的进化观念。
00:50
For instance, we're taught
to say "the theory of evolution."
to say "the theory of evolution."
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比如，我们被教导使用“进化论”这个词。
00:54
There are actually many theories,
and just like the process itself,
and just like the process itself,
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实际上，有非常多的理论，
就像这个过程本身，
就像这个过程本身，
最能反映真实数据的理论
就是那些被保存至今的理论。
就是那些被保存至今的理论。
00:58
the ones that best fit the data
are the ones that survive to this day.
are the ones that survive to this day.
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01:03
The one we know best
is Darwinian natural selection.
is Darwinian natural selection.
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其中最广为人知的理论之一就是
达尔文的自然选择论。
达尔文的自然选择论。
在这种进化方式中，
最适应环境的生物生存下来，
最适应环境的生物生存下来，
01:06
That's the process by which organisms
that best fit an environment
that best fit an environment
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01:10
survive and get to reproduce,
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并且得到繁衍，
而那些相对来说不太适应环境的
生物，会渐渐走向消亡。
生物，会渐渐走向消亡。
01:13
while those that are less fit
slowly die off.
slowly die off.
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就是这样。
01:16
And that's it.
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进化就是这么简单，
它是一种事实。
它是一种事实。
01:17
Evolution is as simple as that,
and it's a fact.
and it's a fact.
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进化就像重力理论一样，是一种事实。
01:21
Evolution is a fact
as much as the "theory of gravity."
as much as the "theory of gravity."
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你可以很容易地证明它。
01:26
You can prove it just as easily.
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你只需要看看你的肚脐，
01:28
You just need to look at your bellybutton
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那是你和其他胎生
哺乳动物一样的地方，
哺乳动物一样的地方，
01:30
that you share
with other placental mammals,
with other placental mammals,
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或者看看你的脊椎骨，
那是你和其他脊椎动物一样的地方；
那是你和其他脊椎动物一样的地方；
01:32
or your backbone that you share
with other vertebrates,
with other vertebrates,
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又或者你的DNA，那是你和
地球上其他生物相似的地方。
地球上其他生物相似的地方。
01:35
or your DNA that you share
with all other life on earth.
with all other life on earth.
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这些特征并不会让人类与众不同。
01:39
Those traits didn't pop up in humans.
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它们被不同的祖先
遗传给它们所有的后代。
遗传给它们所有的后代。
01:41
They were passed down
from different ancestors
from different ancestors
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01:44
to all their descendants, not just us.
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并不仅仅是我们。
但这些并不是我们最早
了解到的生物学，不是吗？
了解到的生物学，不是吗？
01:47
But that's not really
how we learn biology early on, is it?
how we learn biology early on, is it?
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01:51
We learn plants and bacteria
are primitive things,
are primitive things,
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我们知道植物和细菌是原生生物，
然后是鱼类，进一步到两栖类，
再到爬行动物和哺乳动物，
再到爬行动物和哺乳动物，
01:54
and fish give rise to amphibians
followed by reptiles and mammals,
followed by reptiles and mammals,
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之后到人类自己，
01:57
and then you get you,
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01:59
this perfectly evolved creature
at the end of the line.
at the end of the line.
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在进化的时间轴终点
成为完美进化了的生物。
成为完美进化了的生物。
但生物并不是在一条轴线上进化的，
02:03
But life doesn't evolve in a line,
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也不是在我们这里终结的。
02:05
and it doesn't end with us.
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但我们总是被灌输这样的
关于进化论的描述：
关于进化论的描述：
02:08
But we're always shown evolution
portrayed something like this,
portrayed something like this,
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02:12
a monkey and a chimpanzee,
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猴子，大猩猩，
02:14
some extinct humans,
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一些消失的类人猿，
通过稳定的进化，最终成为了我们。
02:15
all on a forward and steady march
to becoming us.
to becoming us.
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但它们并不会成为我们，
我们也不会成为它们。
我们也不会成为它们。
02:19
But they don't become us
any more than we would become them.
any more than we would become them.
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我们也不是进化的终极目标。
02:23
We're also not the goal of evolution.
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02:27
But why does it matter?
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但为什么这一点这么重要呢？
为什么我们需要
用正确的方式来理解进化呢？
用正确的方式来理解进化呢？
02:28
Why do we need to understand
evolution the right way?
evolution the right way?
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02:32
Well, misunderstanding evolution
has led to many problems,
has led to many problems,
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对进化的误解已经产生了很多问题，
但当你没有以正确的方式理解进化时，
02:36
but you can't ask that age-old question,
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02:40
"Where are we from?"
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你不会问这样古老的问题，
02:42
without understanding
evolution the right way.
evolution the right way.
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“我们从哪里来？”
对进化的误解，已经导致了许多关于
我们如何对待地球上其他生物，
我们如何对待地球上其他生物，
02:45
Misunderstanding it has led
to many convoluted and corrupted views
to many convoluted and corrupted views
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02:50
of how we should treat
other life on earth,
other life on earth,
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以及如何站在
种族和性别的角度
种族和性别的角度
02:53
and how we should treat each other
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对待彼此的方式上的
破坏性的，扭曲的观念。
02:55
in terms of race and gender.
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02:59
So let's go back four billion years.
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让我们回到四十亿年前。
这些单细胞有机体是我们的起源。
03:02
This is the single-celled organism
we all came from.
we all came from.
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03:06
At first, it gave rise
to other single-celled life,
to other single-celled life,
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首先，它们演变成其它的单细胞生命，
但这些单细胞生物今天仍在进化，
03:09
but these are still evolving to this day,
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03:11
and some would say
the Archaea and Bacteria
the Archaea and Bacteria
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而有些人会说古细菌和细菌组成了
03:14
that make up most of this group
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这颗星球上
最成功的种群。
03:16
is the most successful on the planet.
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它们在我们消失后一定还会存在的。
03:18
They are certainly going
to be here well after us.
to be here well after us.
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大约在三十亿年前，
出现了多细胞生物。
出现了多细胞生物。
03:21
About three billion years ago,
multicellularity evolved.
multicellularity evolved.
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这包括真菌，植物和动物。
03:25
This includes your fungi
and your plants and your animals.
and your plants and your animals.
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第一种进化出脊椎的动物是鱼类。
03:29
The first animals to develop
a backbone were fishes.
a backbone were fishes.
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03:33
So technically,
all vertebrates are fishes,
all vertebrates are fishes,
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科学地说，所有的脊椎动物都是鱼。
03:37
so technically, you and I are fish.
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所以，科学地说，
你和我都是鱼。
你和我都是鱼。
所以别说我没有提醒过你们。
03:40
So don't say I didn't warn you.
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一些鱼类来到岸上，然后演变成
03:43
One fish lineage came onto land
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03:45
and gave rise to, among other things,
the mammals and reptiles.
the mammals and reptiles.
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其他的生物，哺乳动物，爬行动物。
一些爬行动物变成了鸟类，
一些哺乳动物变成了灵长动物，
一些哺乳动物变成了灵长动物，
03:49
Some reptiles become birds,
some mammals become primates,
some mammals become primates,
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一些灵长动物变成了有尾巴的猴子，
03:53
some primates become monkeys with tails,
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另一些变成了猿类，包括不同的人种。
03:56
and others become the great apes,
including a variety of human species.
including a variety of human species.
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所以我们并不是猴子演变而来的，
04:01
So you see, we didn't evolve from monkeys,
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04:03
but we do share
a common ancestor with them.
a common ancestor with them.
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但我们和它们拥有同一个祖先。
与此同时，我们周围的
生命也在持续进化：
生命也在持续进化：
04:06
All the while, life
around us kept evolving:
around us kept evolving:
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04:09
more bacteria, more fungi,
lots of fish, fish, fish.
lots of fish, fish, fish.
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出现了更多真菌，更多细菌，
以及更多的鱼，各种各样的鱼。
以及更多的鱼，各种各样的鱼。
可能你不知道——
是的，它们是我最喜欢的种群。
是的，它们是我最喜欢的种群。
04:13
If you couldn't tell --
yes, they're my favorite group.
yes, they're my favorite group.
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（笑声）
04:16
(Laughter)
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生命在进化，也在消亡。
04:17
As life evolves, it also goes extinct.
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大多数的动物
仅仅存在了几百万年。
仅仅存在了几百万年。
04:20
Most species just last
for a few million years.
for a few million years.
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所以你看，今天我们在地球上
看到的周围的大多数生物
看到的周围的大多数生物
04:23
So you see, most life on earth
that we see around us today
that we see around us today
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和我们都有着差不多的年纪。
04:26
are about the same age as our species.
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04:28
So it's hubris,
it's self-centered to think,
it's self-centered to think,
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我们却因此骄傲自大地认为：
04:32
"Oh, plants and bacteria are primitive,
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“噢，植物和细菌是原生生物，
而我们已经进化了一阵子，
04:34
and we've been here
for an evolutionary minute,
for an evolutionary minute,
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所以我们是特别的物种。”
04:37
so we're somehow special."
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04:39
Think of life as being this book,
an unfinished book for sure.
an unfinished book for sure.
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想想生命这部书，
一定是一本尚未完成的书。
一定是一本尚未完成的书。
04:44
We're just seeing the last
few pages of each chapter.
few pages of each chapter.
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我们仅仅看到了每一章的最后几页。
04:48
If you look out
on the eight million species
on the eight million species
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如果你注意到和我们
共享这颗星球的
共享这颗星球的
04:50
that we share this planet with,
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八百万种生物，
04:52
think of them all being
four billion years of evolution.
four billion years of evolution.
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想想它们已经有了
四十亿年的进化历程。
四十亿年的进化历程。
04:56
They're all the product of that.
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它们都是进化的产物。
想想我们只是这古老的巨大的
生命之树中年轻的叶子，
生命之树中年轻的叶子，
04:59
Think of us all as young leaves
on this ancient and gigantic tree of life,
on this ancient and gigantic tree of life,
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我们被看不见的枝干所连接，
它们不仅仅连接了我们彼此，
它们不仅仅连接了我们彼此，
05:04
all of us connected by invisible branches
not just to each other,
not just to each other,
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更连接了我们已经灭绝的近亲，
以及我们进化了的祖先。
以及我们进化了的祖先。
05:08
but to our extinct relatives
and our evolutionary ancestors.
and our evolutionary ancestors.
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05:12
As a biologist, I'm still
trying to learn, with others,
trying to learn, with others,
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作为一名生物学家，
我仍然在和他人一起探究，
我仍然在和他人一起探究，
我们每个人是如何与其他人
产生联系的，谁又和谁相关联。
产生联系的，谁又和谁相关联。
05:15
how everyone's related to each other,
who is related to whom.
who is related to whom.
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也许这样想更好，
05:20
Perhaps it's better still
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05:23
to think of us
as a little fish out of water.
as a little fish out of water.
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我们只是离开水的小小的鱼。
是的，一条学习了走路和说话的鱼。
05:26
Yes, one that learned to walk and talk,
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05:29
but one that still has
a lot of learning to do
a lot of learning to do
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但仍然有许多事情需要探究，
05:32
about who we are and where we came from.
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关于我们是谁，
我们从哪里来。
05:35
Thank you.
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谢谢。
05:36
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Prosanta Chakrabarty - IchthyologistProsanta Chakrabarty studies fish to help explain the evolution of human beings and our planet.
Why you should listen
Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty is an Associate Professor and Curator of Fishes at the Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Science at Louisiana State University.
Chakrabarty is a systematist and an ichthyologist studying the evolution and biogeography of both freshwater and marine fishes. His work includes studies of Neotropical (Central and South America, Caribbean) and Indo-West Pacific (Indian and Western Pacific Ocean) fishes. His natural history collecting efforts include trips to Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Madagascar, Panama, Kuwait and many other countries. He has discovered over a dozen new species including new anglerfishes and cavefishes.
The LSU Museum of Natural Science fish collection that Chakrabarty oversees includes nearly half a million fish specimens and nearly 10,000 DNA samples covering most major groups of fishes. He earned his PhD at the University of Michigan and his undergraduate degree is from McGill University in Montreal. He has written two books including A Guide to Academia: Getting into and Surviving Grad School, Postdocs and a Research Job. He is also a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation. He was named a TED Fellow in 2016 and a TED Senior Fellow in 2018.
Prosanta Chakrabarty | Speaker | TED.com