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Scientists Bringing Zebra Cousin Back From Extinction
科学家挽救斑马同类物种
A group of scientists just outside Cape Town, South Africa are trying to bring a zebra species back from extinction through selective breeding. By studying DNA samples, scientists recently confirmed that the quagga, which went extinct in the late 1800s, was a sub-species of the plains zebra. Compared to the plains zebra, the quagga had fewer stripes on the lower half of its body. It also had a dark brown background. Through five generations of selective breeding, a handful of plains zebras now look similar to the extinct sub-species. The most quagga-like of these zebras will be placed on a separate reserve for further breeding. Critics of the project say that the scientists have merely changed the look of the animal, and have not taken into account any behavioural differences or ecological adaptations. The animals in this study have been named Rau Quagga, after Reinhold Rau, one of the scientists.
在南非开普敦外，科学家正在通过“选择性繁殖”挽救灭绝物种。近日经科学家证实，通过DNA检测，19世纪末灭绝的白氏斑马为平原斑马的亚种。通过与平原斑马相比较，白氏斑马的下半身少了几条条纹。尾部呈深棕色。通过对五代平原斑马的“选择性繁殖”，如今的平原斑马与灭绝亚种类似。而与白氏斑马最相近的斑马将安放在保护区进行繁殖。但有批评人士指出，他们几乎改变了动物原貌，且没有考虑行为差别或生态适应性。新物种以该研究科学家莱因霍尔德·拉乌的名字命名，并称之为“Rau Quagga”。
译文属可可英语原创，未经允许，不得转载。
