2016年大学生物专业英语期末考试英文短文2翻译答案

将英语短文译为中文

2. Kin Recognition (10分)

Many organisms, from sea squirts to primates, can identify their relatives. Understanding how and why they do so has prompted new thinking about the evolution of social behavior. by David W. Pfennig and Paul W. Sherman Kinship is a basic organizing principle of all societies. Humans possess elaborate means by which to identify relatives, such as using surnames and maintaining detailed genealogies.

Mechanisms for distinguishing kin also occur throughout the plant and animal kingdoms regardless of an organism’s social or mental complexity, in creatures as diverse as wildflowers and wasps. Scientists are beginning to discover that an understanding of the origin and mechanisms of kin recognition offers fresh insights into such diverse topics as how living things choose their mates, how they learn and how their immune system works.

BELDING’S GROUND SQUIRRELS live in groups in which mothers, daughters and sisters cooperate extensively. By using odors, the squirrels can distinguish familiar nestmates, who are close kin, from nonnestmates. They can also discriminate between full sisters and half sisters.