时差N小时:植物的自我防御 Plant Self-defense

Plants may appear to be helpless in the face ofhungry,toothy animals but many plants have evolvedinteresting systems of self-defense.

植物在饥饿的咀齿动物面前似乎毫无防御，然而许多植物已经进化出了有趣的自我保护体系。

Coarse meadow grasses are a good example.

粗糙的蓝草是一个很好的例子。

If you run your finger along a blade of coarsegrass,you just might cut yourself.

当你的手指滑过它的叶子，很可能将自己划伤。

What makes it so sharp?

它为什么如此锋利呢?

A row of microscopic silica blades lines thegrass like tiny teeth, and most grasses have silicainside as well.

因为在蓝草叶片边缘有一排细小的像牙齿似的硅片，并且大部分蓝草体内也含有硅。

Although the silica doesn’tprevent animals from feasting on the grass, it is hard enough to weardown the animals'teethover time.

虽然这些硅质不能阻止动物的尽情咀嚼，但它的硬度很高，长期食用会磨损动物的牙齿。

Imagine trying to chomp that tough meadow grass with dull, worn teeth, you wouldn’tgettoo far!

试想一下，用又老又钝的牙齿咀嚼那样的牧草，显然不会逍遥很久。

The grasses must have evolved this bristling defense fairly early in their relationship withgrazinganimals, because the anatomy of the animals'mouths has changed in response.

蓝草一定很早以前就在与草食动物的“对抗”中进化出这种密集的齿状硅片。因为动物的口腔结构发生了相应的变化。

The teeth ofmost mammals stop growing in adulthood.

大多数哺乳类动物的牙齿在成年以后就停止了生长。

But, the teeth of grazing animals like horses and cowshave evolved in a different way.

但是马和牛等食草动物的牙齿，却产生了不同的进化。

They continue to grow from the roots over the course of theanimals'lives.

它们从牙根不断生长，贯穿动物的整个生命周期。

As the grasses'silica blades wear away the teeth, continuous growth from the rootsat leastpartially compensates for the loss.

由于蓝草的硅片磨损牙齿，从牙根不断生长的牙至少部分弥补了磨损。

If an animal’s diet consists mostly of coarse meadowgrasses with silica blades, the animal stillcould develop extensive wearing and damage to its teeth.

如果食草动物的食物以这种粗糙蓝草为主，那么磨损仍会加剧并对牙齿造成伤害。