VOA科学技术2024--Study: Ancient Pig-like Animal Shows Early Brain Development

Researchers say a new study on an ancient pig-like animal is helping¹ them learn more about brain development in mammals.

The animal is known as Gordonia. It is believed to have lived more than 250 million years ago in what is present-day Scotland. Back then, Scotland was part of a sandy desert. Today, it receives a lot of rain and enjoys four seasons.

Gordonia was known as a protomammal - a predecessor² of mammals. The creature lived during the Permian Period. Some protomammals kept some qualities of their reptile³ ancestors.

An international group of researchers used high-quality, 3D imaging equipment to examine a Gordonia fossil. This permitted the team to make a digital copy of the animal's brain. The researchers said this led them to learn new details about the size and shape of the brain in early mammal development.

The team recently released their findings about the fossil in a study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

The lead writer of the study was doctoral student Hady George, who attends Britain's University of Bristol. She told Reuters news agency, "Overall, Gordonia's brain looks more like a reptile than a mammal despite it being more closely related to us than any modern living reptile."

The researchers noted⁴ that the animal's brain was very different from those of modern mammals. However, the size of its brain compared to its body seemed to suggest the beginning of gains in intelligence seen later on in mammals and humans. George said the front of Gordonia's brain - called the forebrain - is comparatively much smaller than any other mammal.

Another leader of the research was Steve Brusatte, a scientist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He told Reuters the brain the team studied was not as circular as a human brain. Rather, it is shaped more like "a long, arched tube."

Brusatte noted that upon close examination, the researchers realized the animal's brain was "pretty big compared to the size of the body."

He added that it is difficult to measure intelligence in modern-day humans. So it is even more difficult to measure this in long-disappeared animals. "But we can at least say generally that it would have been a smart creature for its time," Brusatte said.

The researchers estimated Gordonia was about one meter long, weighing 20 kilograms. The animal's head was tall and wide, with a pointed⁵ mouth and tusks⁷ to help it eat desert plant material. It had a pig-like build, but its legs were not as long as a pig's, they noted.

Gordonia belonged to a group of protomammals called dicynodonts. The group survived the worst mass extinction⁸ in Earth's history 252 million years ago at the end of the Permian Period. The extinction event is thought to have been caused by extreme volcanic⁹ activity.

Scientists believe the first dinosaurs¹⁰ began appearing about 230 million years ago, while mammals came about around 20 million years later.

Words in This Story

mammal - n. an animal that feeds its babies on milk from its body

predecessor - n. a person or thing that existed before another

three-dimensional (3D) - adj. having or appearing to have length, depth and height

fossil - n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) from a plant or animal that lived in ancient times and that you can see in old rocks

tube - n. a long, think container with a round center

arched - adj. something that has a curved shape like an arch

tusk⁶ - n. one of two long, pointed teeth that come out of the mouth of some animals

extinct - adj. not existing anymore

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

3 reptile   

n.爬行动物；两栖动物

参考例句：

• The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
• So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。

4 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。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 tusk   

n.獠牙，长牙，象牙

参考例句：

• The wild boar had its tusk sunk deeply into a tree and howled desperately.野猪的獠牙陷在了树里，绝望地嗥叫着。
• A huge tusk decorated the wall of his study.他书房的墙上装饰着一支巨大的象牙。

7 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

8 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

9 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

10 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》