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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
人类的许多药材资源都来自于植物,而根据种种事例显示,人类并非植物药材的唯一受益物种,许多动物也会寻找特定的植物来治疗自身伤病。
Infected monarch1 butterflies will lay their eggs on plants that contain a chemical that can protect the butterflies' offspring. Cynthia Graber reports
Many of our medicines originate in plants. But we’re not the only ones who tap into nature. There’s increasing evidence that some animals seek out specific plants for their medicinal qualities. A new study shows that monarch butterflies may be among them.
Monarch butterflies—famous for their U.S.–Mexico migration—feed on dozens of species of milkweed. Some milkweeds have a higher concentration of chemicals called cardenolides, which make the butterflies toxic2 to predators3. Research had focused on whether the monarch’s chose different milkweeds to hurt their enemies.
But Emory University’s Jaap de Roode wondered if the choice might be related to a parasite4 that’s passed from mother to offspring, with fatal results: “What we do find is that the monarchs5 prefer to lay their eggs on the medicinal species when they are infected. However, when they are not infected with the parasite, they do not prefer this species over this one, they lay their eggs equally between these two species.
So somehow they know that they’re infected and they know what to do about it.” The research was published in the journal Ecology Letters. [Thierry Lefèvre et al., "Evidence for trans-generational medication in nature"]
Co-author Mark Hunter notes that watching animal choices could offer clues about what plants might contain potential medicines for us.
—Cynthia Graber
1 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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2 toxic | |
adj.有毒的,因中毒引起的 | |
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3 predators | |
n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 );奴役他人者(尤指在财务或性关系方面) | |
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4 parasite | |
n.寄生虫;寄生菌;食客 | |
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5 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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