纪录片《熟食造就了人类吗》 第13期：南方古猿（在线收听）

It's the first early human

这是早期人类中

that has really modern human-like characteristics.

第一个真正拥有现代人类特征的种别

Really big brain and indication

头部很大 还有证据显示

that it was a big game hunter.

他们曾是大型猎物的捕杀者

These were extraordinary evolutionary changes.

这些都是进化史上的重大飞跃

But why did they take place?

但这些变化为何会发生

It has long been thought that where our ancestors lived

长久以来 我们的祖先究竟安居在何处

and how they got on with each other

他们之间相处又是如何改变进化历程的

affected their evolution.

这都是有待考证的课题

But scientists are now asking

但现在科学家有了新的疑问

if another integral part of life, the very food they ate,

日常饮食 这一生活密不可分的部分

could have had such a revolutionary effect.

会不会对进化演变有着影响呢

To find the answer, we need to go back four million years

想解开这一谜团 就要回到400万年以前

to when the forest-dwelling ape Australopithecus roamed the Earth,

那时林居的南方古猿 刚开始直立行走

surviving on a diet of raw fruit and vegetables.

单靠生鲜蔬果为生

Apart from walking upright,

除了直立行走

Australopithecus was very similar to modern apes.

南方古猿 跟现代猿类非常相似