第1457期:The problem with big brains

Is it possible to be too clever? Could it be that a big brain is actually a dangerous asset?

有可能太聪明了吗？难道说，大脑袋实际上是一种危险的资产吗？

Whilst the brainy human species goes from strength to strength, a study suggests that having an abundance of grey matter directly increases the risk of extinction in our mammal cousins.虽然聪明的人类物种不断壮大，但一项研究表明，拥有丰富的灰质会直接增加我们的哺乳动物表亲灭绝的风险。

Biologist Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez, from the University of Reading, says that big brains come with a clear downside.

雷丁大学的生物学家 Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez 表示，大脑大有一个明显的缺点。

"The cost is too high," she told BBC Future. They require a lot of energy to grow and maintain. 

“成本太高了，”她告诉 BBC Future。它们需要大量的能量来生长和维持。

Large-brained animals also have longer gestational periods, meaning they produce fewer offspring. 

脑容量大的动物也有更长的妊娠期，这意味着它们产生的后代更少。

And their young need greater parental attention until they become independent.

在他们独立之前，他们的孩子需要更多的父母关注。

These traits mean "populations cannot grow fast, or quickly compensate for additional mortality," she says.

她说，这些特征意味着“人口不能快速增长，也不能迅速弥补额外的死亡率”。

In short, big brains are an investment not all animals can afford.

简而言之，大大脑是一项并非所有动物都能负担得起的投资。

 And this precarious situation is made worse by the fact that many large mammals are themselves the target of poaching or live in threatened habitats.

由于许多大型哺乳动物本身就是偷猎的目标或生活在受威胁的栖息地，因此这种不稳定的情况变得更糟。

Some animals have long since decided that brains weren’t necessary.

一些动物早就决定不需要大脑。

 BBC Future suggests that sponges evolved to lose their brains over time, as they offered no tangible benefits.

BBC Future 表明，随着时间的推移，海绵进化为失去大脑，因为它们没有提供任何切实的好处。

But what about humans? We are the most intelligent species on Earth. 

但是人类呢？我们是地球上最聪明的物种。

We have tamed the natural environment, developed incredible technologies, and settled across almost every corner of the planet.

我们已经驯服了自然环境，开发了令人难以置信的技术，并在地球的几乎每个角落定居。 

But all this may be exacerbating the problem for other species.

但这一切可能会加剧其他物种的问题。

Gonzalez-Suarez says: "It is our collective responsibility as scientists who study megafauna to act to prevent their decline."

Gonzalez-Suarez 说：“作为研究巨型动物的科学家，采取行动防止它们的衰退是我们的集体责任。”

 Time to put our big brains to good use.

是时候充分利用我们的大脑了。

词汇表

asset 长处，优点
brainy 有头脑的，聪明的
go from strength to strength 不断壮大，从强大变得更强
grey matter（口语）大脑，智力
downside 不利之处
gestational period 妊娠期
offspring 后代，子孙
young 动物的幼小后代
trait 特质，特征
mortality 死亡率
precarious 危险的，不确定的
to poach 偷猎
habitat 动物的栖息地，生存环境
to evolve 进化
species 物种
to tame 控制，驾驭
to exacerbate 使恶化，使加剧
megafauna 巨型动物群