叫声揭露新鸟类物种
Sweet Song Gives Away New Bird Species
叫声揭露新鸟类物种
The newly discovered Himalayan forest thrush looks a great deal like the alpine thrush, but its far silkier song stylings gave it away as a potential new species
新近发现的喜马拉雅森林画眉在外表上与高山画眉非常相像，但其更为够软的歌声透露了它可能是一个新物种。
撰文/播音 史蒂夫·米尔斯基 (Steve Mirsky)
翻译 Meatle
审校 乔虹
[Bird song]
That, of course, is the sound of the Himalayan forest thrush. And that sound was a clue to field researchers that they might have a new species of bird on their hands. Even though it was in the bush. You know what I mean.
那叫声当然是喜马拉雅森林画眉的叫声。而作为线索，这些叫声也支持了现场研究人员的观点：他们手上有新的鸟类物种——尽管现在还未敲定下来。你懂的。
You see, the Himalayan forest thrush looks a great deal like another well-known bird called the alpine thrush. They’re both found in northeastern India and nearby parts of China. But the alpine thrush has a raspy song compared with the more mellifluous Himalayan forest thrush.
看起来，喜马拉雅森林画眉与另一种广为人知的鸟类，高山画眉，颇为相似。它们均在印度的西北部与附近的中国领土中被发现。但高山画眉的叫声较为尖锐，而喜马拉雅森林画眉的叫声则如同蜂蜜一般柔滑。
One of the researchers, Shashank Dalvi of India’s National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Wildlife Conservation Society, likened the two different birds to Rod Stewart versus Adele.
其中一位研究者，来自印度国家生物科学与野生动物保护中心的肖申克·达尔维(Shashank Dalvi)将两种鸟的叫声的差异比作罗德·斯图尔特 (Rod Stewart) 和阿黛尔 (Adele) 的风格区别。
Further analyses, including of the birds’ DNA, confirmed that the song differences were indicative of these birds indeed belonging to two separate species. The finding is in the journal Avian Research. [Per Alstr?m et al, Integrative taxonomy of the Plain-backed Thrush (Zoothera mollissima) complex (Aves, Turdidae) reveals cryptic species, including a new species]
包含DNA的进一步研究结果，确认了拥有不同的“歌唱风格”的两种鸟儿的确分属于不同的物种。这项发现发表在《鸟类研究》（Avian Research）期刊上。[Per Alstr?m et al, Integrative taxonomy of the Plain-backed Thrush (Zoothera mollissima) complex (Aves, Turdidae) reveals cryptic species, including a new species]
The discovery of a new bird species is relatively rare. Since the year 2000, ornithologists have found five new species annually on average, mostly in South America. So this newly characterized thrush—only the fourth new species found in India since it became independent in 1947—should send birdwatchers from all over the world flocking. I mean, it’s a sound discovery.
相对其他领域的新物种发现，鸟类的发现是更为稀少的。自2000年始，鸟类学家平均每年发现5种新鸟类，大部分在南美。这次新发现的画眉鸟，是自印度与1947年独立起，在印度所发现的第四个新的鸟类物种。这个发现应该会使到全球的鸟类观赏家聚集起来，毕竟，这是“听到的”发现。
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京ICP备11000850号-1
京公网安备11010502039775号 信息网络传播视听节目许可证0111611号
国家科技基础条件平台