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  • 哺乳动物的重要性

    A service dog wearing a red vest with 'SERVICE DOG' text, sitting patiently.

    How are mammals helpful?
    ::哺乳动物如何提供帮助?

    An example of a helpful mammal is a service dog . Like many dogs, service dogs can pick up or retrieve objects for their owners. They can also perform many other tasks for a disabled person, depending on the type of disability.
    ::帮助哺乳动物的例子之一是一只服务性狗,与许多狗一样,服务性狗可以为其主人取回或取回物品,他们也可以根据残疾类型为残疾人执行许多其他任务。

    Importance of Mammals
    ::哺乳动物的重要性

    Mammals play many important roles in , and they also benefit people.
    ::哺乳动物在其中发挥着许多重要作用,它们也使人民受益。

    Importance to Ecosystems
    ::对生态系统的重要性

    Mammals have important roles in the food webs of practically every ecosystem. Mammals are important members of and food webs, as grazers and predators . Mammals can feed at various levels of food chains, as herbivores , insectivores , carnivores and omnivores .
    ::哺乳动物在几乎所有生态系统的食物网中都起着重要作用,哺乳动物作为食草动物和掠食动物,是食物网的重要成员,也是食物网的重要成员。 哺乳动物可以在食物链的各个层次,如食草动物、昆虫、食肉动物和食肉动物等。

    Mammals also interact with other in many symbiotic relationships. For example, bats have established mutually beneficial relationships with plants. Nectar-feeding bats receive a tasty treat from each flower , and, in return, they pollinate the flowers. That means they transfer pollen from one flower to another, allowing the plant to reproduce. Non-flying mammalian pollinators include , , and rodents. In most cases, these visit flowers to eat their nectar, and end up with pollen stuck to their bodies. When the animal visits another flower to eat the nectar, the pollen is transferred to that flower.
    ::哺乳动物在许多共生关系中也与其它动物相互作用。例如,蝙蝠与植物建立了互利关系。 食糖蝙蝠从每朵花中得到美味的款待,作为回报,它们授粉花。这意味着它们将花粉从一朵花转移到另一朵花上,允许植物繁殖。不飞的哺乳动物授粉者包括、和老鼠。在多数情况下,它们造花是为了吃花蜜,最后是花粉粘在它们身上。当动物到另一朵花去吃花蜜时,花粉就会被转移到那朵花上。

    Fruit-eating bats ( Figure ) also receive food from plants. In return, they help these plants spread their seeds . When bats consume fruit , they also consume the seeds within the fruit. Then they carry the seeds in their guts to far-away locations.
    ::食果蝙蝠也从植物获得食物,它们也协助植物播种。当蝙蝠吃水果的时候,它们也吃水果中的种子。然后,它们把种子放在肠子里,送到遥远的地方。

    Zebras have been known to befriend ostriches. In this symbiotic relationship, both species benefit. The ostrich, with its terrible of smell and hearing and the zebra with its poor eyesight, are both able to warn the other when danger is near. The zebra can smell or hear certain dangers approaching, while the ostrich can see other dangers. Both are prepared to warn one another at a moment’s notice so they can each flee when necessary.
    ::斑马是已知的亲友。 在这种共生关系中,两种物种都受益。 有着可怕的嗅觉和听觉的蚂蚁和视力差的斑马都能在危险临近时警告对方。 斑马可以闻到或听到某些危险即将来临,而它们也可以看到其他危险。 两者都准备在一时的注意下彼此发出警告,以便各自在必要时逃跑。

    Baboons and impala have a similar relationship. Impala are one of the most common prey species for all predators and need to be constantly alert. Impala have good hearing and eyesight, raising an alarm when danger is near. Baboons use trees to check for danger and bark an alarm when danger is sensed. What do the baboons receive? Male baboons sometimes prey on young impala soon after birth. So, though both alert others to dangers, sometimes this is not the best of relationships for young impala.
    ::Baboons 和 imbala 有着相似的关系。 Impala 是所有捕食者最常见的猎物之一,需要时刻保持警惕。 Impala 有着良好的听力和视力,在危险临近时会发出警报。 Baboon 使用树木来检查危险,在危险被察觉时会响起警报。 baboon 和 imbala 会收到什么? 男性baboon 有时在出生后不久就捕食幼黑猩猩。 因此,尽管双方都提醒别人注意危险,但有时这对年轻的黑猩猩来说并不是最好的关系。

    Zebra and wildebeest are found together on the African savanna grazing different parts of the same grass. The zebra grazes the tougher parts of the plant, saving the softer parts for the wildebeest. A zebra will move into an area of tall grass before other herbivores and graze the grass down to the area that the wildebeest prefers.
    ::斑马和野生野生动物一起在非洲草原上放牧同一草地的不同部分。 斑马放牧植物较硬的部分,为野生动物保存较软的部分。 斑马将迁移到一个高草地,先于其他草原,然后把草地放牧到野生动物最喜欢的地方。

    An Egyptian fruit bat hanging upside down, feeding on orange slices.

    Bats, like this Egyptian fruit bat, play an important role in seed dispersal.
    ::蝙蝠像埃及的果棒一样,在种子散布方面起着重要作用。

    Importance to Humans
    ::对人类的重要性

    We see examples of mammals (other than people!) serving our needs everywhere. We have pets that are mammals, such as dogs and cats. Mammals are also used around the world for transport. For example, horses, donkeys, mules, or camels ( Figure ) may be the primary means of transport in some parts of the world. Mammals also do work for us. Service dogs can be trained to help the disabled. These include guide dogs, which are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles. Horses and elephants can carry heavy loads. Humans also use some mammals for food. For example, cows and goats are commonly raised for their milk and meat. Mammals’ more highly developed brains have made them ideal for use by scientists in studying such things as learning, as seen in maze studies of mice and rats.
    ::我们看到哺乳动物(而非人)的事例,我们到处都有满足我们需要的哺乳动物。我们有宠物,它们是哺乳动物,例如狗和猫。哺乳动物也在全世界被使用来运输。例如,马、驴、驴、驴或骆驼(图)可能是世界一些地区的主要运输工具。哺乳动物也为我们服务。服务动物可以接受帮助残疾人的培训。这些动物包括导盲犬,它们是训练在障碍处引导盲人和视力受损者的辅助狗。马和大象可以携带沉重的负荷。人类也可以使用哺乳动物来做食物。例如,牛和山羊通常会养养奶和肉。哺乳动物的大脑已经让科学家在研究诸如学习诸如小鼠和大鼠的迷宫研究中看到的那样,他们非常理想地使用。

    A person riding a camel in a desert near pyramids.

    This camel provides transportation in Egypt.
    ::这只骆驼在埃及提供交通工具。

    Cultural Importance
    ::文化重要性

    Mammals have also played a significant role in different cultures’ folklore and religion. For example, the grace and power of the cougar have been admired in the cultures of the native peoples of the Americas. The Inca city of Cuzco is designed in the shape of a cougar, and the thunder god of the Inca, Viracocha, has been associated with the animal. In North America, mythological descriptions of the cougar have appeared in the stories of several American Indian tribes.
    ::哺乳动物在不同文化的民间传说和宗教中也扮演了重要角色。 比如,美洲原住民的文化对美洲美洲美洲美洲豹的优雅和力量很钦佩。 印加库斯科市以美洲豹的形式设计,印加神雷神维拉科查也与动物有关。 在北美,美洲豹的神话描述出现在几个美洲印第安人部落的故事中。

    Important mammals include Dolly the sheep, Lassie the dog, and flipper the dolphin. Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic (body) , using the process of nuclear transfer. Lassie was a collie dog who appeared in seven full length feature films in the 1940s and 1950s, starting with Lassie Come Home in 1943. Additional Lassie movies were made as recently as 2005. Between 1954 and 1973, the Lassie television series aired, with plenty of additional productions as recently as 2007. Flipper was a bottle nose dolphin that starred in a television series between 1964 and 1967. The most famous mammal may be King Kong, the giant gorilla that terrorized New York City in 1933 in the movie of the same name.
    ::重要的哺乳动物包括Dolly羊、Lassie狗和Flipper海豚。Dolly是第一个使用核转移过程从成人身体(体形)中克隆的哺乳动物。Lassie是一只在1940年代和1950年代以Lassie回家开始的七部全长度特写电影中出现的科里狗,1943年出现于Lassie。最近,在2005年又制作了更多的Lassie电影。1954年至1973年,Lassie电视系列播放了更多的节目,直到2007年还播放了更多的节目。Flipper是1964年至1967年在电视系列中播映的瓶鼻海豚。最著名的哺乳动物可能是King Kong,1933年在同一个名字的电影中恐吓纽约市的巨猩猩。

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • Ecologically, nectar-feeding and fruit-eating bats play an important role in plant pollination and seed dispersal, respectively.
      ::在生态方面,花蜜喂养和吃水果蝙蝠在植物授粉和种子散布方面分别发挥着重要作用。
    • Mammals meet people's needs by serving as pets, transport, food, or research subjects.
      ::哺乳动物作为宠物、运输、食物或研究对象,满足人们的需要。

    Explore More
    ::探索更多

    Use the resources below to answer the questions that follow.
    ::利用以下资源回答以下问题。

    Explore More I
    ::探索更多

    • Arctic: Greenland Sled Dogs at (3:02)
      ::北极:格陵兰雪橇犬(3:02)
    1. How many sled dogs are there living above the Arctic Circle in Greenland?
      ::有多少雪橇狗生活在格陵兰北极圈上方?
    2. How far can a sled dog team travel in a day?
      ::雪橇狗队一天能走多远?
    3. What advantages do sled dogs have over snowmobiles?
      ::雪橇狗对雪地机动车有什么好处?
    4. What are some ways in which the Inuit depend on sled dogs?
      ::因努伊特人以什么方式依赖雪橇狗?

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. How do mammals impact ecosystems? Describe two ways.
      ::哺乳动物如何影响生态系统?描述两种方式。
    2. Describe one symbiotic relationship between mammals.
      ::描述哺乳动物之间的一种共生关系。
    3. How do mammals help people? Describe two ways.
      ::哺乳动物如何帮助人类?
    4. Which mammals is your favorite? Why?
      ::你最喜欢哪个哺乳动物?