新奇事件簿 现代人类起源于博茨瓦纳

A new study claims that the origin of modern humans is in Botswana. The study is published in the journal 'Nature'. Researchers in the study said they used DNA¹ to find out where modern humans came from. The researchers believe we all have roots in a region of northern Botswana, south of the Zambezi River. Humans were there 200,000 years ago. They lived there for at least 70,000 years before they moved around the African continent. They then started migrating to what is now Europe and Asia. Researcher Professor Vanessa Hayes, from the University of Sydney in Australia, said: "We've known for a long time that modern humans originated in Africa roughly 200,000 years ago."

一项研究称现代人类起源于博茨瓦纳。该研究发表于期刊杂志《Nature》。该研究的研究人员称他们利用DNA发现了现代人类的来源。研究人员认为，我们都起源于赞比西河以南，博茨瓦纳北部的一个地区。20万年前人类就出现在那里。他们在迁徙至非洲大陆之前，在这里生活了至少7万年。然后他们开始迁徙至现在的欧洲和亚洲。澳大利亚悉尼大学的研究人员Vanessa Hayes教授表示：“很久以前我们就知道现代人类起源于大约20万年前的非洲。”

The researchers pinpointed² an area called Okavango as being the place we come from. There used to be a huge lake there but it is now salt flats. The people had access to water, hunting and farmland. Scientists analyzed³ DNA samples from 200 people who live near the area today. They are from the Khoisan people. The Khoisan now live in modern-day South Africa and Namibia. They had a lot of DNA called L0, which is the oldest form of DNA known to be inside humans. Professor Hayes explained why L0 is important. She said: "Every time a new migration⁴ occurs, that migration event is recorded in our L0 and DNA as a time-stamp.... Everyone walking around today...comes from this region."

研究人员确定了一个叫奥卡万戈的地方，我们来自这个地方。那里以前有一个大湖，但现在是盐滩了。在那里，人们有水喝、可以打猎和农耕。科学家分析了今天居住在该地区附近的200人的DNA样本。他们是克瓦桑人。如今克瓦桑族居住在现在的南非和纳米比亚。他们有很多被称为L0的DNA，这是已知人类体内最古老的DNA形式。Hayes教授解释了L0的重要性。她说：“每一次有新的迁徙发生时，这一次迁徙事件就像一个时间戳一样被记录在我们的L0和DNA中......今天在这里的每个人都来自这个地区。”

1 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

2 pinpointed   

准确地找出或描述( pinpoint的过去式和过去分词 )； 为…准确定位

参考例句：

• His refusal to help simply pinpointed his cowardice. 他拒绝帮助正显示他的胆小。
• Computers pinpointed where the shells were coming from. 计算机确定了炮弹发射的位置。

3 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。