猫咪的大脑越来越小？“铲屎官”竟是始作俑者

较难

初中二年级

说明文

动物

大约1万年前，人类首次驯化了猫。然而，研究表明，人类对猫的宠爱，正在让猫的脑子严重“缩水”。

Scientists have found that as cats became pets over the last 10,000 years, their brains have become smaller. This shows that a theory called “the domestication syndrome (驯化综合征)” is true.

科学家发现，在过去的一万年里，随着猫成为宠物，它们的大脑变得更小了。这表明一个被称为“驯化综合症”的理论是正确的。

This theory shows that when animals are tamed, their brains make fewer special cells (细胞) called neural crest cells (NCC). These cells have something to do with fear and excitement. Having fewer of these cells might make the brain smaller and change how animals look to and do with stress.

这一理论表明，当动物被驯服时，它们的大脑产生的称为神经嵴细胞的特殊细胞会减少。这些细胞与恐惧和兴奋有关。这些细胞的数量减少可能会使大脑变小，并改变动物对压力的看法和应对方式。

The scientists compared the skull (头骨) sizes of house cats and several types of wild cats from Africa and Europe. They found that house cats, and mixes of wild and house cats, have smaller skulls (and brains) than wild cats (including European wildcats and African wildcats). They also found that mixed-breed cats have brain sizes in between those of house cats and wildcats.

科学家们比较了家猫和非洲和欧洲几种野猫的头骨大小。他们发现家猫，以及野生和家猫的混合物，头骨比野猫小。他们还发现，混血猫的大脑大小介于家猫和野猫之间。

The main reason for this brain size reduction is that house cats live easier lives in more comfortable environments with fewer dangers and predators.

这种大脑缩小的主要原因是家猫在更舒适的环境中生活得更轻松，危险和捕食者更少。

Other studies have shown that the brains of other tamed animals, like dogs and rabbits, have also become smaller compared to their wild relatives. Even human brains have become smaller over the past 28,000 years. Experts think that the change from being hunter-gatherers (狩猎采集者), ▲ , to being farmers with more peaceful lives may be the main reason for this brain size reduction.

其他研究表明，与野生动物相比，狗和兔子等其他驯服动物的大脑也变得更小。在过去的2.8万年里，甚至人类的大脑也变得更小了。专家认为，从狩猎采集者转变为生活更平静的农民，可能是大脑体积缩小的主要原因。