时差N小时 蜜蜂的年龄与分工(下)

Nest scouts¹, who search for new hive locations, were three times more likely to be nectar scouts when older.

寻找新蜂巢的筑巢蜂在年老时有三倍的可能性会成为寻蜜蜂。

To determine if there are differences between scouts and non scouts, researchers examined their brains to see which genes² were active.

为了确定寻蜜蜂与保育蜂是否存在差异，研究人员检查了它们的大脑，寻找哪些基因是活跃的。

What they found was surprising. There were large differences in over one thousand genes.

他们的发现出人意料。蜜蜂的上千种基因差异甚大。

Some of those genes are very similar to ones associated with human novelty seeking behavior.

其中一些基因与人类追求新奇行为相关的基因十分相似。

Scientists examined genes controlling dopamine signaling, which reinforces pleasure in humans.

科学家研究了控制多巴胺信号的基因，这种基因会增强人类的愉悦感。

In bees it works just the opposite; high dopamine reinforces aversion.

而该基因在蜜蜂体内的作用却恰恰相反；多巴胺含量高会增加蜜蜂的厌恶感。

Bees with genes that made more dopamine receptors were non scouts, while those with low receptors tended to be scouts.

携带能够分泌较高多巴胺感受器基因的蜜蜂为保育蜂，而那些产生较少感受器的蜜蜂则为寻蜜蜂。

1 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

2 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪