《中英對照讀新聞》Study shows apes can plan ahead 研究顯示猿類會事先計畫

◎鄭寺音

Bonobos and orangutans are capable of future planning, according to a study published in the journal Science.

巴諾布猿與紅毛猩猩會計畫未來，根據一份刊登在「科學」期刊的研究。

Forward planning is thought by some to be a uniquely human trait.

事前計畫被一些人認為純然是人類的特徵。

The German team suggests such skills may have evolved about 14 million years ago, when bonobos, orangutans and humans shared a common ancestor.

這個德國研究團隊表示，這樣的技巧可能在一千四百萬年前當巴諾布猿、紅毛猩猩與人類的祖先還是相同之時，逐漸演化形成。

"We showed that individuals are able to pick up a tool, transport it to a different location, keep it there for at least an hour, and bring it back to solve a problem," explained author Dr Josep Call, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

研究的作者、普郎克演化人類學研究所的學者柯爾解釋：「我們的研究顯示，個體可以拿起工具，把它搬到另一個不同地點，放在那裡至少一小時，然後將它帶回來解決問題。」

"Previous studies had shown that chimps and other animals can transport tools to solve a problem on the spot. "

「過去的研究顯示，猩猩與其他動物會搬運工具來解決現場的問題。」

"But the main difference with the tasks that we tried is that when they transport the tool and save it, they have no use for the tool. They need to anticipate that they will require it to solve a problem in the future."

「但這與我們嘗試的研究主要的不同點在於，當牠們把工具搬來，留下它，牠們沒有用到這個工具。牠們必須要能夠預期，牠們未來會需要它來解決問題。」

新聞辭典

retrieve︰動詞，重新得到、收回。例句：I ran back to my room and retrieved my bag.我跑回房間拿回自己的包包。

trait︰名詞，特徵、特點、特性。例句：Jim's two most pleasing traits are generosity and energy. 吉姆最討人喜歡的特徵是豪爽和充滿活力。