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JulietBrophy_2018X-_新发现的人种如何改变人类进化论_
Human origins . 人类是如何起源的？
origins:n.起源; (origin的复数)
Who are we? 我们是谁？
Where do we come from, and how do we know? 我们从哪里来？ 又是怎么知道的呢？
In my field, paleoanthropology , we explore human origins -- the "who" and "where" questions -- by analyzing fossils that date back thousands and even millions of years. 在我们古人类研究领域, 我们通过分析几千年前, 甚至百万年前的化石, 来探索人类的起源—— 回答“是谁”和“在哪里”的问题。
paleoanthropology:n.古人类学; explore:v.探索:探测:探险: analyzing:adj.分析的;v.分析(analyze的现在分词); fossils:n.[古生]化石(fossil复数形式);
In 2015, a team of colleagues and I named a new species in the genus Homo -- our genus -- 2015年,我和一个考察小组 命名了一个新发现的人类物种—— 我们的人属——
colleagues:n.同事;同行(colleague的复数); species:n.[生物]物种;种类; genus:n.类,种;[生物]属; Homo:n.人,人类;同性恋者;
Homo naledi. 奈勒迪人。
Let's take a step back and put that into context . 来回顾一下这个过程, 就会更容易理解。
context:n.环境;上下文;来龙去脉;
The last common ancestors between humans and chimps date somewhere between six and eight million years. 最晚发现的猿和人的共同祖先, 可以追溯到600到800万年前。
chimps:n.(非洲的)黑猩猩;
The earliest hominins , or earliest human ancestors, evolved into a group known as the australopithecines . 最早的人类, 或者说人类最远的祖先, 进化为我们所说的南方古猿。
hominins:类人猿;人族存在者; evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) australopithecines:南方古猿;南方猿;南猿;
The australopithecines evolved into the genus Homo and eventually modern humans -- us. 这些南方古猿进化为人属, 并最终进化成现代人类——我们。
eventually:adv.最后,终于;
With each new fossil discovery, we get a little bit closer to better understanding who we are and where we came from. 随着每种新化石的发现, 我们都会更接近那个答案, 更能理解我们是谁, 我们从哪里来。
With these new fossil finds, we realize we now have to make changes to this tree. 基于这次新的化石发现, 我们意识到必须改变这个树形图。
Until this discovery, we thought we had a pretty good idea about the patterns of evolutionary change. 在这次的发现之前, 我们以为自己对进化的 模式有个很好的概念,
evolutionary:adj.进化的;发展的;渐进的;
Current fossil evidence suggests that the earliest populations of the genus Homo evolved in Africa somewhere between two and three million years. 现有的化石证据显示, 大概200-300万年前, 最早的人属在非洲进化而成。
evidence:n.证据,证明;迹象;明显;v.证明;
Fast-forward to approximately 300,000 years to where we see the origins of the first modern humans. 快进一下,从大概30万年前,到第一批 现代人类的出现。
Fast-forward:n.快进功能;adj.进展迅速的;vi.快进;vt.使快进; approximately:adv.大约,近似地;近于;
While the fossil record between these time frames in Africa is relatively sparse , the fossils nonetheless demonstrated certain trends from our earliest ancestors to modern humans. 虽然在这个时间框架中的化石记录 相对稀少, 这些化石还是展示出了 从我们最远的祖先到 现代人类的特定的演变趋势。
frames:n.[计][电子][通信]帧,[电影]画面;[建][计]框架;眼镜架(frame的复数); relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地; sparse:adj.稀疏的;稀少的; nonetheless:adv.尽管如此,但是; demonstrated:v.证明;证实;论证;说明;表达;(demonstrate的过去分词和过去式) trends:n.趋势;倾向;动态;动向;(trend的第三人称单数和复数)
For example, our brains were becoming larger relative the rest of our body. 比方说,相对于身体的其他部位 我们的大脑变得越来越大。
Our pelves were becoming more bowl-shaped , and our hand-wrist morphology , or form, suggested a change in our grip as we began to make and use stone tools and spend less time in the trees. 我们的骨盆更呈现为盆状, 并且我们的手腕形态,或者说样子, 这些表明当我们开始制造和使用石器时, 用手抓握的方式产生了变化, 同时也更少地待在树上。
pelves:n.[解]骨盆; bowl-shaped:adj.碗状的;碗型; morphology:n.形态学,形态论;[语]词法,[语]词态学; grip:n.紧握;柄;支配;握拍方式;拍柄绷带;vt.紧握;夹紧;vi.抓住;
These new fossils disrupt everything we thought we knew about these trends and force us to change the way that we think about human evolution. 这些新发现的化石打乱了 我们对这些演变趋势的一切认知, 并迫使我们改变对人类进化的认识。
disrupt:vt.破坏;使瓦解;使分裂;使中断;使陷于混乱;adj.分裂的,中断的;分散的;
South Africa in general , but the Cradle of Humankind in particular , contains numerous sites where hundreds of thousands of fossils have been found. 南非这片土地, 是人类发展的摇篮。 那里无数的遗址中, 数以万计的化石还未曾被发现。
in general:总之,通常;一般而言; Cradle:n.摇篮;发源地;发祥地;支船架;vt.抚育;把...搁在支架上;把...放在摇篮内; Humankind:n.人类(总称); in particular:尤其,特别; numerous:adj.许多的,很多的; sites:n.网站(site的复数);遗址,举办地点;v.使...位于(site的单三形式);
As an undergraduate student, I fell in love with one of them ... 在读本科的时候,我爱上了其中一个
undergraduate:n.本科生;
Mrs. Ples. 普莱斯先生。
The skull of a 2.1-million-year-old early human ancestor. 这是我们在210万年前 一个早期远祖的头骨。
skull:n.头盖骨,脑壳;
From that point on, 从那时起,
I was determined to go to South Africa and study human evolution. 我决定去南非,研究人类进化。
determined:adj.决定了的:v.决定;(determine的过去分词和过去式)
I first traveled there in 2003, and I did get to see my beloved Mrs. Ples. 2003年,我第一次去那里, 并有机会看望了我深爱的普莱斯先生。
beloved:adj.心爱的;挚爱的;n.心爱的人;亲爱的教友;
(Laughter) （笑声）
But words can hardly convey my excitement when I was chosen as an early career scientist by Lee Berger, a world-renowned paleoanthropologist , to be one of the primary analysts of recently excavated unpublished fossils. 语言根本无法形容我当时的激动心情。 当时我被世界著名的古人类学家李·博格 选为青年科技人员, 并在一个最近发掘 但尚未公布的化石遗址,担任分析组成员。
convey:vt.传达;运输;让与; excitement:n.兴奋;刺激;令人兴奋的事物; career:n.职业;事业;生涯;经历; world-renowned:adj.世界知名的; paleoanthropologist:n.[人类]古人类学者; analysts:n.分析师;分析家;[分化]分析员(analyst的复数); recently:adv.最近;新近; excavated:v.发掘;挖掘(excavate的过去式,过去分词); unpublished:adj.未公开出版的;未发表过的;
This treasure trove of fossils was being recovered from a new site called the Dinaledi Chamber in the Rising Star cave system. 这个化石宝藏是在一个叫 Dinaledi Chamber的新遗址里发现的 属于瑞星洞系。
treasure trove:n.无主财宝;宝藏; Chamber:n.(身体或器官内的)室,膛; adj.室内的; vt.把…关在室内;
Species are often named based on a skull, a lower jaw, or, very rarely , a handful of postcranial , or below-the-neck, elements . 我们以往常常根据头颅骨,下颚, 或者,极少见的情况下, 一把颅后骨或者颈下骨的特点命名标本。
rarely:adv.很少地;难得;罕有地; postcranial:颅后的; elements:n.要素;基本部分;少量;一群;(element的复数)
The fossils from Dinaledi were another story altogether. 在Dinaledi发现的化石却是不同的情况。
An unprecedented approximately 1800 specimens -- so far -- have been excavated from the Rising Star system, representing at least 15 individual skeletons . 在瑞星系列洞穴出土了 大概1800件的标本—— 到目前为止—— 这是一个史无前例的数目, 它至少可以拼成15具独立的骨架。
unprecedented:adj.空前的;无前例的; specimens:n.[试验]试样,[图情]样本(specimen的复数); representing:v.代表;维护…的利益;等于;相当于;(represent的现在分词) individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的; skeletons:n.骷髅;[解剖]骨骼(skeleton的复数);流言(歌曲名);
The research team that I was invited to join was tasked with describing , comparing and analyzing the fossils, with the difficult goal of identifying to what species the fossils belonged. 我参加的那个研究小组收到一项任务, 对这些难以分辨哪一块 属于哪一具骨架的化石 进行描述,比较和分析。
describing:v.描述;形容;把…称为;做…运动;(describe的现在分词) comparing:v.比较;对比;(compare的现在分词) identifying:n.识别,标识;标识关系;v.识别;(identify的现在分词)
We were divided up into our different areas of expertise . 我们被分成了不同领域的专项组。
expertise:n.专门知识;专门技术;专家的意见;
We were divided up in different areas of the lab, too. 还被分配到了不同领域的实验室。
So there was "Hand Land," for the fossil hand people, " Hip Heaven" for the pelvis ... 因此,这里有 Hand Land, 一个专门研究手的小组, Hip Heaven 是骨盆专家们...
Hip:n.臀部;蔷薇果;忧郁;adj.熟悉内情的;非常时尚的; pelvis:n.骨盆;
I was in the "Tooth Booth." 我是研究牙齿的,在 Tooth Booth 组。
(Laughter) （笑声）
And after long, intense days in the lab, the different teams would meet up at night and discuss our findings , still consumed by questions from our analyses . 尽管在实验室里劳碌了一整天, 晚上,不同小组成员 还要开会,讨论新的发现, 我们仍然能对分析过程中 产生的问题兴致勃勃。
intense:adj.强烈的;紧张的;非常的;热情的; findings:n.调查发现;判决;裁决;(finding的复数) consumed:adj.沉迷…的; v.消耗,耗费; (consume的过去分词和过去式) analyses:n.分析;解析;分解;梗概(analysis的复数形式);
It was incredible how different the interpretations were. 你难以相信有多少种不同的解释。
incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的; interpretations:n.[计]解释;
Each body part seemed to come from a different species, based on what we knew from the fossil record. 根据我们已知的化石记录, 每一个身体部位都好像是 来自一个不同的物种。
The suite of characteristics we were seeing didn't match any known species. 我们眼前的这些化石特点不能和 任何已知物种相匹配。
suite:n.套房;一套家具;组曲(由三个或更多相关部分组成);套装软件; characteristics:n.特征;特点;品质;(characteristic的复数)
And if we had only recovered the skull, we might have called it one thing; if we had only recovered the pelvis, we might have called it another. 如果只发现了这个颅骨, 我们也许会称做它是一种东西; 如果只发现了这个骨盆, 我们也许会称它为另一个东西。
The anatomy of the skeletons didn't make sense with the framework of what we thought we knew of human evolution. 当我们用自以为正确的 人类进化论模式思考时, 对这些骨骼的刨析就站不住脚。
anatomy:n.解剖;解剖学;剖析;解析; make sense:有意义;讲得通;言之有理;
Did it belong in the genus Homo? 它属于人属吗？
Should it be an australopithecine? 它会是一种南方古猿吗？
Those bipedal , more apelike ancestors? 这些两足动物,更像我们的类猿祖先吗？
bipedal:adj.两足动物的;二足的;n.两足动物; apelike:像猿猴的;卑屈地仿效的;
Or perhaps it should be its own species. 或许它应该自成一个物种。
Ultimately , after much deliberation , we decided the Rising Star specimens did indeed warrant a new species, which we called "Homo naledi." 最终,在反复商议之后, 我们决定把这种瑞星标本 列为一个新的物种, 就叫奈勒迪人。
Ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究; deliberation:n.审议;考虑;从容;熟思; warrant:n.依据;许可证;执行令;授权令;v.使有必要;使正当;使恰当;
From the head to the feet, the fossils present a mosaic of primitive , or ancestral , and derived or more modern-like features. 这些化石从头至脚 呈现出两种特征的混合: 原始的,或者说先祖的特征 和衍生的,更像现代人的特征。
mosaic:adj.摩西的;拼成的;嵌花式的;n.马赛克;镶嵌;镶嵌细工; primitive:adj.原始的,远古的;简单的,粗糙的;n.原始人; ancestral:adj.祖先的;祖传的; derived:adj.导出的;衍生的,派生的;v.得到;推断(derive的过去分词);由…而来;
The skull is quite derived, appearing most similar to early representatives of the genus Homo, like Homo habilis and Homo erectus . 这个头骨是衍生的。 它和早期人类的特征最相似, 就像巧人和直立人一样。
representatives:n.代表;众议院(representative的复数形式); Homo habilis:n.能人(能用手准确抓握器物的早期人科成员); Homo erectus:n.直立人(能用腿行走的早期人类);
However, the brain is scarcely half the size of a modern human one. 然而,它的大脑仅仅是 现代人类的一半大小。
scarcely:adv.几乎不,简直不;简直没有;
One that is smaller than any other early Homo that has ever been found. 它比任何一个已发现的 早期人类的头骨都要小。
As someone who studies teeth, 做为一个研究牙齿的成员,
I might argue these are the coolest fossils found at the site. 我得说,这是在这个遗址 发现的最酷的化石。
(Laughter) （笑声）
The assemblage consists of 190 whole or fragmentary teeth that range in age from very old to very young. 这组化石包括190颗整牙和牙齿碎片, 它们的年龄跨度从高龄到低龄。
assemblage:n.装配;集合;聚集;集会;集合物;聚集的物或人; consists:v.由…构成;由…组成(consist的三单形式); fragmentary:adj.碎片的;不完全的;断断续续的;
Like the skeletons, the teeth present a mix of primitive and derived traits . 就像这具骨骼, 它的牙齿呈现出原始和演化的特征。
traits:n.特性,特质,性格(trait的复数);
In modern humans, the third molar is typically the smallest, while the first molar is the biggest, but Homo naledi has the primitive condition where the third molar is the biggest and the first molar is the smallest. 现代人的牙齿中, 第三颗磨牙的特征就是 最小的,而第一颗却是最大的, 但是奈勒迪人牙齿的基本特征是: 第三颗磨牙是最大的,而第一颗是最小的。
molar:adj.臼齿的;摩尔的;磨碎的;n.臼齿,[解剖]磨牙; typically:adv.代表性地;作为特色地;
The anterior teeth, or the incisors and canines , are small for the genus Homo, and the lower canine has a cuspulid on it -- an extra cuspule that gives it a distinct mitten-like shape that it shares with some specimens of the early human, Homo erectus. 人类前面的牙齿, 也叫门齿和犬齿, 是很小的, 并且下犬齿有齿尖—— 那是一个明显像手套一样的额外的牙尖。 一些早期人类和直立人的 标本上都有这个特点。
anterior:adj.前面的;先前的; incisors:n.[解剖]门齿;[解剖]切牙(incisor的复数); canines:n.犬齿;[解剖]尖牙(canine的复数形式); extra:adj.额外的:n.额外的事物:adv.额外:另外: distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的;
The overall shape of the teeth looked odd to me, so I performed crown-shape analysis on the occlusal surfaces of deciduous teeth, or baby teeth -- on your left -- and the permanent premolars and molars on your right. 我觉得这些牙齿形状看起来很奇怪, 所以我在这个 乳牙的咬合表面分析了牙冠-形状—— 左侧的-—— 还有右侧的恒牙前齿和磨牙。
overall:v.全部; n.外套; adj.全面的; odd:adj.古怪的;奇数的;n.奇数; performed:v.表演;执行;履行;演出;工作,运转(好/不好)(perform的过去分词和过去式) analysis:n.分析;分解;验定; occlusal:咬合面;咬合的;阻塞的; deciduous:adj.落叶性的,脱落性的;非永久性的; permanent:adj.永久的,永恒的;n.烫发; premolars:n.小臼齿(premolar的复数);前齿;[解剖]前臼齿;
The deciduous teeth are especially narrow , and the premolars are unique in their outline shape compared to other hominids . 这些乳牙的轮廓格外狭窄。 和其他人种相比, 这些前齿的轮廓非常特别。
especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分; narrow:adj.狭窄的; v.使窄小; n.峡谷; (场所,物品等的)狭窄部分; unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; outline:n.概述;轮廓线;梗概;略图;v.概述;略述;显示…的轮廓:勾勒…的外形; compared:adj.比较的,对照的; v.相比; (compare的过去式和过去分词) hominids:n.人种;人科(hominid的复数);
In fact, when I compare the outlines , when I lay them on top of each other, they look very similar. 事实上,当我比较它们的轮廓时, 当我把一副牙骨放在另一副上, 它们看上去非常相似。
outlines:n.轮廓; v.概括(outline的三单形式);
We say they have "low intraspecific variations ," 我们说它们具有“低物种内多样性”
intraspecific:adj.[动]种内的; variations:n.变奏曲,变更;[生物]变种(variation的复数形式);
so the variation within the species is low. 也就是说,在同一物种内,变化较少。
When I compare this to groups like the australopithecines, the intraspecific variation is much larger. 当我们把它们和一些类似 南方古猿的群体进行对比时, 物种内的多样性就大得多。
Postcranially, the team concluded that the position of the shoulders suggesting naledi was a climber; the flared pelvis and curved fingers are all primitive for the genus Homo. 关于颅下结构,小组得出的结论是, 肩部的位置说明奈勒迪人擅长攀爬; 宽阔的骨盆和弯曲的手指 都属于远古人的特征。
concluded:v.断定:得出结论:终止:达成:缔结(协定)(conclude的过去分词和过去式) flared:adj.底部展开的; v.燃烧; (flare的过去分词和过去式) curved:adj.呈弯曲状的; v.(使)沿曲线运动;
On the other hand , the humanlike wrist , long slender legs and modern feet are all consistent with other members of the genus. 另一方面, 和人类相似的腰部和足部,修长的双腿 都和其他人种类似。
On the other hand:另一方面; wrist:n.手腕;腕关节;v.用腕力移动[送出,抛掷等]; slender:adj.细长的;苗条的;微薄的; consistent:adj.始终如一的,一致的;坚持的;
In 2017, we announced more specimens of Homo naledi from the nearby Lesedi Chamber, also in the Rising Star cave system. 2017年,我们公布了更多的奈勒迪人样本。 它们是在Lesedi Chamber旁边发现的, 这个地方也属于瑞星洞系。
nearby:adj.附近的,邻近的;adv.在附近;prep.在…附近;
In addition , our geology team managed to produce an age estimate . 另外,我们的地质小组 设法做出了一个年代估算。
addition:n.添加;[数]加法;增加物; geology:n.地质学;地质情况; estimate:v.估计;估算;估价;n.估价;(对大小、数量、成本等的)估计;估计的成本;
The date's a big deal because, up until now, we had based our analysis solely on the morphology of the specimens, without previous knowledge of how old something is -- something which could unconsciously bias our interpretations. 数据非常重要,因为目前为止, 我们的分析仅仅是基于人类标本。 没有对年代判断的基本知识, 也许有意无意中,我们的理解会有失偏颇。
a big deal:na.要人;重要的事; solely:adv.单独地,唯一地; previous:adj.以前的;早先的;过早的;adv.在先;在…以前; unconsciously:adv.不知不觉;无意识地; bias:adv.使有偏见;n.偏见;偏心;偏爱;v.使有偏见;使偏向;adj.斜的;[电]偏动的;
With its small brain and flared pelvis, we would not have been surprised if the fossils turned out to be two million years old. 看这个小小的头骨和宽阔的骨盆, 如果早知道它们原来 已经有200万年历史了, 我们就不会如此惊讶了。
Instead, the fossils dated to 235 to 336 thousand years, an incredibly young date for such a small-brained individual. 其实,这些化石可以追溯到 23.5-33.6万年前。 对这么小的头骨来说, 这个年代太新,令人难以置信。
incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地;
So think back to what I said earlier: we thought that our brains were becoming larger relative to the rest of our body. 想一想我刚才说过的: 我们以为相对于身体的其他部位 而言,我们的大脑正在变大。
Now we have a small-brained, young individual complicating this idea. 现在这个大脑体积小,年代很新的 标本让这件事复杂起来。
complicating:v.使复杂化;(complicate的现在分词)
What does all this mean? 这都意味着什么呢？
Homo naledi has taught us that we need to reassess what it means to be in the genus Homo. 奈勒迪人给了我们一个启示, 我们需要重新测评什么是人属。
reassess:vt.再评价;再课税;再摊派;
We need to rethink what it means to be human. 我们需要重新思考什么是人类。
rethink:v.重新考虑;再想;n.重新考虑;反思;新想法;
In fact, most of the characteristics that we use to define the genus Homo, such as brain size and hip morphology, are no longer valid . 实际上,大多数我们 用来定义人属的那些特征, 比如大脑尺寸和臀部形态, 都已经不再有效了。
define:v.定义;使明确;规定; valid:adj.有效的;有根据的;合法的;正当的;
No other species exists with this mix of primitive and derived traits. 没有哪个物种混合着 既原始又衍生的特点。
Why is there so much morphological variation in the genus Homo? 为什么会有这么多形态各异的人属？
morphological:adj.形态学的;
And what force is driving that variation? 又是什么促进了这种多样性的呢？
Another implication for these fossils is that for the first time, we have concrete evidence of a species coexisting in Africa, at 300,000 years, with modern humans. 这些化石的另外一些影响是,它第一次 提供了确凿的证据说明了 30万年前非洲的物种和 现代人类的共生关系。
implication:n.含意;可能的影响(或作用、结果);暗指;(被)牵连; concrete:n.混凝土;adj.混凝土制的;确实的,具体的;vt.用混凝土覆盖 coexisting:adj.共存的;v.[数]共存(coexist的现在分词);
Until this discovery, we only had large-brained modern humans that existed in Africa. 这次发现之前, 我们以为只有大脑体积较大的 现代人在非洲存在过。
large-brained:adj.有大脑的;
Did they interbreed with each other? 他们之间是否杂交过？
interbreed:vt.异种交配;混种;使品种间杂交;vi.异种交配;混种;杂种繁殖;
Did they compete with each other? 他们是否相互竞争？
compete:v.竞争;对抗;参加比赛(或竞赛);
Another implication that these fossils have is for the archaeologists studying stone tools in South Africa. 另外一个意义是,这些化石 给考古学家提供了 研究非洲石器时代的机会。
archaeologists:n.[古]考古学家(archaeologist的复数);
Keep in mind that neither the Dinaledi nor the Lesedi Chambers have any artifacts in them. 别忘了既不是Dinaledi, 也不是Lesedi Chambers 才拥有史前古器物。
Keep in mind:记住; Chambers:n.内庭(chamber的复数); artifacts:n.史前古器物;人工产品;
However, they do overlap in time with several stone-tool industries, the makers of which are considered to be either modern humans or direct human ancestors. 然而,他们的几个石器工业时代 在某些时候是重合的, 它们上面的标记被认为要么是现代人的, 要么是人类祖先的。
overlap:n.重叠;重复;v.部分重叠;与…同时发生; stone-tool:石器;其他石器;
This begs the question: 这就引出了一个问题:
Who made the stone tools of South Africa? 谁制造了南非的史前石器？
Brain size has historically played a key role in identifying a species as a tool user. 历史上,大脑的体积在界定物种的时候 起到了重要作用。
historically:adv.历史上地;从历史观点上说;
The idea is that you need to have a large brain to have even the capacity to make stone tools. 这个概念说明,只有拥有较大的大脑, 你才具备制造石器的能力。
capacity:n.能力;容量;资格,地位;生产力;
But that notion has been questioned. 但是我们开始怀疑这个概念了。
notion:n.观念;信念;理解;
Furthermore , Homo naledi, even with its small brain size, has a hand-wrist morphology similar to other species that did make and use stone tools, suggesting it had the capability . 进一步说,奈勒迪人虽然大脑体积小, 手腕形状却和 其他制造工具的物种类似, 说明它也具备同样的能力。
Furthermore:adv.此外;而且; capability:n.才能,能力;性能,容量;
With two species coexisting in Africa at 300,000 years, we can no longer assume we know the maker of tools at sites with no associated species. 考虑到这两种物种在非洲共生了30万年, 我们不能再假定我们知道,在遗址上的 工具制造者和别的物种没有关联。
assume:v.承担;假定;采取;呈现; associated:adj.有关联的; v.联想; (associate的过去分词和过去式)
So where does Homo naledi fit in our human evolutionary lineage ? 那么,奈勒迪人应该在 人类进化线上哪个位置上呢？
lineage:n.血统;家系,[遗]世系;
Who is it most closely related to? 它最接近谁呢？
Who did it evolve from? 它从什么物种进化而来？
We're still trying to figure all that out. 我们仍然在寻找答案。
It's ironic , because paleoanthropologists are renowned for having small sample sizes. 这很讽刺,因为古人类学家 以拥有少量的标本著称。
ironic:adj.讽刺的;反话的;
We now have a large sample size, and more questions than answers. 我们现在有大量的标本, 问题却比答案更多了。
Homo naledi has taught us, has brought us a little bit closer to better understanding our evolutionary past. 奈勒迪人给了我们启示, 带我们更进一步 理解我们的进化史。
So while Mrs. Ples will always hold a special place in my heart, she now shares that space with several thousand others. 因此我心中将会一直留有 普勒斯太太的角色, 她现在正在和成千上万的 人分享这个角色。
(Laughter) （笑声）
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）