Amazing Komodo Dragons

神奇的科莫多龙

Once, a British gazette had an unusual story. Scientists at a zoo made a discovery about komodo dragons. Komodo dragons are giant lizards that grow up to two and a half meters long. A female lizard at the zoo had babies. However, it had never been around a male lizard in its entire life. After the scientists publicized their discovery, many people thought it was fictitious.

曾经，《英国公报》刊登过一个不同寻常的故事。动物园的科学家们发现了科莫多龙。科莫多巨蜥是一种巨型蜥蜴，身长可达2.5米。动物园里的一只雌性蜥蜴生了宝宝。然而，它一生中从未接触过雄性蜥蜴。科学家们公布了他们的发现后，许多人认为这是虚构的。

But it was true. It was discovered that female komodo dragons can have babies without the help of their male counterparts. This contradicts what scientists know about how most animals have babies.

但这是真的。人们发现，雌性科莫多巨蜥可以在没有雄性同伴帮助的情况下繁殖后代。这与科学家所知道的大多数动物繁衍后代的理论相矛盾。

In most cases, there are many things that can obstruct this type of reproduction.For example, adult males and females carry different genes needed to make an embryo. If the genes are homogeneous, the babies are weaker and have genetic problems. Over time, the weakened species dies out completely. This makes it necessary for the male to be involved. However, scientists verified that when Komodo babies are born, their genes aren't the exact same genes as their mother. Also, they are devoid of any genetic problems.

在大多数情况下，有许多事情会阻碍这种繁殖。例如，成年雄性和雌性携带不同的基因，而这些基因是制造胚胎所必需的。如果基因是同质的，婴儿就会更弱，有遗传问题。随着时间的推移，被削弱的物种完全灭绝。这就需要雄性的参与。然而，科学家证实，科莫多巨蜥宝宝出生时，他们的基因与母亲的基因并不完全相同。而且，它们没有任何遗传问题。

Scientists theorize that Komodo dragons developed the ability because it helps the species fend off extinction.If a volcano erupts, lava can kill all of the komodo dragons on an island. However, as long as one female eludes death, she can prolong the survival of the species. Luckily, Komodo dragons are vigorous swimmers. So the surviving female can plunge into the ocean and swim to another island. When she comes ashore, she can reproduce by herself. Over time, the genes within the population diverge. Then, the sparse population increases. Once again there is a surplus of lizards on one island. Scientists think that this may be how the lizards took over all of the islands in that area.

科学家们认为，科莫多巨蜥进化出这种能力是因为它能帮助这个物种抵御灭绝。如果火山喷发，熔岩会杀死岛上所有的科莫多龙。然而，只要有一只雌性逃过一劫，她就能延长物种的存活时间。幸运的是，科莫多龙是精力充沛的游泳者。这样幸存的雌鱼就可以跳进海里，游到另一个岛上去。当她上岸时，可以自己繁殖。随着时间的推移，种群内的基因会分化。然后，稀疏种群增加。在一个岛上，蜥蜴的数量再次过剩。科学家们认为这可能是蜥蜴如何占领该地区所有岛屿的原因。

单词表

ashore adv. 在岸上

contradict v. 反驳

counterpart n. 副本

devoid adj.缺乏的

diverge v. 使偏

elude v. 避开

embryo n. 胚胎

fend v. 照料

fictitious adj.虚构的

gazette n. 公报

homogeneous adj.均匀的

obstruct v. 妨碍

plunge v. 猛插

prolong v. 延长

publicize v. 宣传

sparse adj.稀疏的

surplus n. 剩余

theorize v. 建立理论

verify v. 核实

vigorous adj.有力的

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