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Xiaodi YANG Why Evolution Is True Reading books is one of the most significant things that people should do during the life time. Reading books could make people rethink. Even read same book in different time, the feeling would not be same. The book that I have read is “Why Evolution Is True.” It is written by Jerry Coyne, a professor of Chicago University. This book has been discussed frequently, and the most commands are positive. In this book, the author use the simplest way to describe his opinion and perspective views. The discuses view which always be mentioned in the book is creation and intelligence design. The author believe that 作者主要用通俗大眾化的手筆寫此書,最常出現的論點也是針對創造論(Creation)或化名為智慧設計(Intelligence design)而寫。他認為演化學學者有責任提出更多的證據,讓大眾更相信演化,演化不只是「學說」而已,已是證據十足的科學事實。 此書除了序及前言外共九章。先來介紹每章寫些什麼,第一章〈什麼是演化〉,他提出六點演化的基本觀念,首先演化是一「事實」,第二必須瞭解演化是「漸進的」,第三點是「分種(Splitting)」或更正確「專門化(Speciation)」,這跟第四點的共祖(Commom ancestory)其實是一體兩面的事質,有共同祖先以後分開各自專門成新種,第五及第六是大自然的選擇及非選擇性的方式所引起的演化。 這書的特點是舉出不少實例來說明像上述六點的演化特性,不能詳述。這種實例較能說服人。同樣以下各章也舉出很多實例,第二章談化石的證據,可以看出動植物的演化,顯示魚上陸演化變成兩棲類、爬蟲類、鳥及哺乳類。化石也說明哺乳類的鯨又如何從陸上到海洋,化石找到不少這些演化過程的證據。最讓人信服應該是過渡期的動物化石,如似哺乳類的爬蟲、似鳥類的恐龍等等,有的還找到相當完整的化石。 第三章談演化過程遺留的遺跡(Re-mnants),動植物包括人,具有一些從前遠古共同祖先痕跡的器官,這些器官雖目前無功能,在遠祖時仍有其功能。有時突然間很稀罕地出現了遠祖器官(Atavism),如人類的尾巴。細胞的DNA中可能還存在一些基因,但被抑制而沒有表現其功能而已。 看脊椎動物在不同時期的胚胎最能看出演化的證據,動物胚胎的發育過程中,不同動物不同期的胚胎有的相當類似。看早期一些胚胎不太能知道到底是屬於何種動物,甚至分不出是爬蟲、鳥或哺乳類。由於演化的原因,人的許多器官構造並不是好的設計,作者舉出最好的一例,左邊的回歸咽喉神經(recurrent laryngeal nerve),就是遠古祖先器官位置演化的痕跡。這神經先隨遠祖本來的器官到胸腔,繞過主動脈再回歸到頸上端的咽喉。作者趁機用喜劇演員的劇本,說明人的身體構造不少根本就不是「智慧設計」。 第四章談〈生命的地理〉,從達爾文年輕隨船環遊世界時的觀察,以及分析火山島到與各大陸不同生物的異同,達爾文以及同時期或更早的博物學家就發展出演化的理論。只有從演化才能解釋大陸跟火山島生物的異同,以及各不同地區為何有不同的生物特徵。 第五章談〈演化的引擎〉,大自然的選擇是使生物能適應而生存下去的最主要理由。達爾文時代的觀察現在可在實驗室找到證據。此章說由大自然選擇而適應有三個現象:第一,群體中的個體有不少相異處,譬如老鼠有不一樣的毛顏色,第二,這些差異是因為不同基因而來,第三,這些不同基因仍可遺傳下去。毛顏色較白的老鼠較能在海岸沙地生存,因大自然的選擇白鼠漸多起來,雜色的則在樹林中也因一樣的選擇而增加。雖本是隨便無目標的基因突變,但仍有大自然規則來選擇。 當然不必一定要有大自然選擇才能演化,而植物或動物也更容易由育種而選擇更好的品種。在實驗室管內也會有演化現象,細菌也由演化而對藥有抗阻性。此章也舉例說明如何演化成更複雜的生物,選擇是其中最重要的機轉。 第六章談性跟演化關係,有些動物雄雌間的差異很大,尤其是雄鳥常有不少「裝飾」,這些並不是沒有意義的,雌鳥選擇對象就跟此裝飾有關,靠此選擇後代的父親,使這種「裝飾」漸漸明顯。性行為及性別差異在演化上扮演重要角色,書上舉了不少例子說明。 第七章談物種起源,談什麼是生物的「種(species)」、如何定義等,不是談達爾文的書。其實那時談演化並不知道太多「種」如何源起,生物如何專門化變成一特別種是書出版多年後才漸漸知道。不同地區有機會各自專門化成不同的種,同種一般能交配,而且所生的後代仍可傳種下去,不同種的馬及驢生下的騾就沒有生殖能力。這章說很多種的起源及如何專門化,地區不同又如何能演化成不同種的實例,這些都是演化的證據。 第八章講人類的演化,「人」由演化而來是宗教界(基督教及伊斯蘭教)最不能接受而反對演化的原因。不但在化石上,後來DNA的異同都可追尋人猴有共同祖先。所有生物的演化中,人的演化有最多爭論,人跟最接近人的猩猩在DNA上差異不多,以很多不同的方式存在。此書舉例說明兩篇文章只有少數的字不同,但意義有時卻非常不同,人跟猩猩DNA只稍許的不同,但演化結果卻相當不同。人演化過程中跟我們現在智人(Homo sapiens)最接近的其他人屬(Homo),如北京及爪哇猿人、Nelanderthal人或其他Hominins都已滅絕。本章還討論更多人種的問題以及人類仍繼續演化中。 第九章〈Evolution Redux〉,查字典Redux是形容詞,有Rebirth、Revisit之意,但放在名詞之後,就是要再溫習演化。結論演化是對的,達爾文150年前寫的內容,大部分的「教條」都被證實,不只現代的遺傳學的DNA,其他各種生物或醫學也都有證據可證實。反演化者不但不會消聲滅跡,更會以不同方式反撲,不管證據多少,不相信者鐵口咬定說沒證據。此章也談如何與信仰共存的問題,不少有名的科學家就是如此。 讀這本書尤其加上了新知識的遺傳學、分子生物學以及更多其他領域的新知識,對演化論會瞭解得更多,值得大家讀。今年出版有關演化的書非常多,我只選《新聞周刊》介紹的這一本主要討論演化的證據,還有其他更多這一類的書,中文本或譯本也有些。

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