SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Humans and Chimps: What's the Differen

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS -May 7, 2002: Humans and Chimps²: What's the Difference? / Thousands of Ancient
Remains³ Found in Peru / Rice Genes⁵ Mapped

VOICE ONE:
This is Doug Johnson.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Bob Doughty⁶ with Science in the News, a VOA Special English program about recent developments

in science. Today, we tell about some genetic⁷ differences between humans and chimpanzees. We tell about the
discovery of the remains of thousands of ancient people in Peru. And we tell about the genetic map of rice.
((THEME)
)

VOICE ONE:
Humans are more closely related to chimpanzees than any other animal. Humans and chimpanzees have more
than ninety -eight percent of the same genetic material. Yet scientists have had trouble explaining why humans
and chimps are so different if they have almost all of the same genes.

 

A new study has provided information to explain some of the differences. Scientists from
Germany, the Netherlands and the United States used genetic tests to get their answer. Svante
Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary⁸ Anthropology⁹ in Leipzig, Germany led the
study. The publication Science reported the findings.

The scientists used modern genetic technology to study tissue from chimps and people who
had died of natural causes. They measured and compared the activity of genes that both species
share. Genes send messages to cells. These messages direct the cells to make proteins and

other substances used by the body.

VOICE TWO:

The European and American scientists examined blood, liver and brain cells from the humans and chimps. They
found that humans and chimps are genetically¹⁰ similar, except for the gene⁴ activity in their brains. Gene activity
levels in the human brains were greatly different from those in the chimp¹ brains. For example, the scientists
showed that a gene might produce a lot of proteins in human brain cells but few proteins in chimp brain cells.

However, the genetic activity in the blood and liver cells of humans and chimps looked similar. The report said
this suggests that the human brain grew quickly after the two creatures developed separately from a common
ancestor millions of years ago. Humans developed a brain that is about two times the size of a chimp’s brain.

VOICE ONE:

Ajit Varki is a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego. He helped write the study. He
said the genetic comparison of chimps and humans might lead to better treatments for diseases. He said scientists
may learn more about the genetics of diseases that harm humans but not chimps. For example, he noted¹¹ that
chimps can become infected with H-I-V, the virus that causes AIDS in humans. However, the animals almost
never get sick from the disease.

Doctor Varki said the study does not mean that chimps should be used in laboratory experiments. He said chimps
and humans are so closely related that future research on chimps should obey the same rules as research on
humans.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))


VOICE TWO:

Peruvian archeologists have discovered thousands of human remains under a town near the Peruvian capital,
Lima. The remains were recovered from a burial area that may contain as many as ten-thousand bodies. The
bodies are about five-hundred years old. This is when the Inca ruled the area.

Experts say the discovery may change their understanding of Inca society. The Inca once ruled large parts of
South America, from what is now Colombia to Chile. However, invading Spanish explorers defeated them in
fifteen-thirty-three.

VOICE ONE:

Peruvian archeologist Guillermo Cock led the members of the team. They made the discovery in the small,
coastal¹² town of Tupac Amaru at an area called Puruchuco. Mister Cock says his team found at least two-
thousand-two-hundred bodies of men, women and children. They are believed to be from the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries, when Spanish explorers began arriving in the area.

In the past, information about Inca culture has come from a limited number of burial
places. The recent discovery includes rich and poor people of all ages, from babies
to old people.

VOICE TWO:

Many of the bodies were found wrapped together in many pieces of cloth material.
These are called mummy bundles. Some mummy bundles held as many as seven
individuals and their objects. These mummy bundles weighed as much as one -hundred-eighty kilograms. Several
bodies still wore clothing that showed the person’s importance in Inca society. About forty of the large mummy
bundles had false heads on top. Such heads were attached to mummy bundles that included leading members of
Inca society.

The archeologists also found more than fifty-thousand objects along with the bodies. They include personal
valuable objects, food, cloth materials, pottery¹³ and cooking equipment.

VOICE ONE:

The archeologists say nothing special was done to protect the bodies before burial. Thick pieces of cloth around
the bodies trapped any body fluids. The dry, sandy soil also helped protect the bodies. As a result, there was little
damage over the past few centuries.

The greatest damage, however, came from human wastes and other fluids left by people who lived in Tupac
Amaru. The wastes and liquids sank into the ground, damaging the bodies. In addition, earth-moving equipment
destroyed other burial areas in Nineteen-Ninety-Eight.

The research team worked quickly during the past three years to save what it could. Peru’s government and the
National Geographic¹⁴ Society in Washington, D.C., provided money for the project.

VOICE TWO:

Mister Cock says this is one of the most important discoveries in the history of Inca archeology. He says it will
take years to study all of it. He says archeologists will learn much about the lives, health and culture of the Inca
people as well as their social, economic and political systems.

The discovery has already disputed some beliefs about Inca life. For example, Mister Cock says it disputes the
idea that common people were not involved in Inca culture. He says even the poorest individuals show strong ties
to the Inca.

The archeologist says he has no plans to dig again in the area. Yet he remains concerned because hundreds of
other bodies remain buried underground. Small buildings cover most of the unexplored areas. School children
play on the dusty field where many of the remains were found. Their feet crush tiny pieces of Inca corn and
human hair that remain on the surface.


((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE ONE:

Scientists have identified almost all the genes found in rice. Two teams published separate versions of the genetic
information for rice plants last month. This is the first time scientists have mapped the genes of an important
crop. The scientists say this genetic information could lead to improved kinds of rice and better rice production in
developing countries. They also expect the information to be useful in improving other grains, such as corn and
wheat.

Rice feeds more than half the world’s population. However, weather conditions, disease and
insects can restrict its production. That may change because of the efforts of the scientific
teams. They reported their findings in the publication Science.

VOICE TWO:

One group was led by Jun Yu of the Beijing Genomics Institute in China and the University of
Washington in Seattle. His group studied indica, the rice most commonly grown in China. The group says it has
identified more than ninety percent of the genes in indica rice.

The other scientists work for the Syngenta company based in Switzerland. They did the research at the

company’s Torrey Mesa Research Institute in La Jolla, (La HOY -ah) California. They created a map of
japonica, a short-grain rice grown in warm climates. Syngenta claims its map is more than ninety-nine percent
complete and ninety-nine percent correct.The chief editor of Science magazine said he believes the rice genome
could prove more important in the next few years than the human genome. He noted that more people depend on
rice than any other crop.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written and produced by George Grow. This is Doug Johnson.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice
of America.

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1 chimp   

n.黑猩猩

参考例句：

• In fact,the color of gorilla and chimp are light-color.其实大猩猩和黑猩猩的肤色是较为浅的。
• The chimp is the champ.猩猩是冠军。

2 chimps   

（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

7 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

8 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

9 anthropology   

n.人类学

参考例句：

• I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。
• Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。

10 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

13 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

14 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法