我为什么存在? 祖母才是人类进化的关键
<p><span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="exist">exist</span>? <span word="This">This</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="philosophical">philosophical</span> <span word="cri">cri</span> <span word="de">de</span> <span word="coeur">coeur</span>; <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="evolutionary">evolutionary</span> <span word="conundrum">conundrum</span>. <span word="At">At</span> 58, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="menopause">menopause</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="soldier">soldier</span>, <span word="on">on</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="luck">luck</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="more">more</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="conundrum">conundrum</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="vivid">vivid</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="realize">realize</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="beings">beings</span> (<span word="and">and</span> <span word="killer">killer</span> <span word="whales">whales</span>) <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="females">females</span> <span word="outlive">outlive</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="fertility">fertility</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="closest">closest</span> <span word="primate">primate</span> <span word="relatives">relatives</span>--<span word="chimpanzees">chimpanzees</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>--<span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="die">die</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="their">their</span> 50<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="fertile">fertile</span>.</p><p>我为什么存在？这不是一句哲学的呐喊，而是一个进化方面的谜题。58岁的我早已过了更年期，但如果幸运的话，我还会再活很多年。当你认识到人类（以及虎鲸）是雌性在生育期过后继续存活的唯一物种之后，这个谜题就显得更加突出了。与我们血缘最近的灵长类亲戚――比如黑猩猩――一般在还有生育能力的50多岁之前就死去了。</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="miracle">miracle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="medicine">medicine</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="expectancy">expectancy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span>--<span word="but">but</span> <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="fewer">fewer</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="die">die</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="infancy">infancy</span>. <span word="Anthropologists">Anthropologists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="spans">spans</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="hunter">hunter</span>-<span word="gatherer">gatherer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="forager">forager</span> <span word="societies">societies</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="societies">societies</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="evolved">evolved</span> <span word="in">in</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="childhood">childhood</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="your">your</span> 60<span word="s">s</span> <span word="or">or</span> 70<span word="s">s</span>.</p><p>这不只是现代医学创造的奇迹。我们人类的平均寿命比过去长了很多――但这是因为早夭的儿童大大减少。人类学家考察过狩猎采集社会的人类寿命。这些社会跟我们最终进化形成的各种社会有相似之处。如果活到童年过后，那么你就很有可能能够活到60多岁或70多岁。</p>
页:
[1]