【Economist】Evolution: Shell game

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中文导读 近期，中国科学家梁伟通过解释 巢寄生 证明了趋同演化的部分原理。研究小组对扎龙自然保护区的芦苇莺和布谷鸟的蛋进行实验室研究，结果 表明蛋壳越厚，孵化速度越快。但被寄生物种没有进化出更厚蛋壳的原因尚需进一步研究。 An intriguing example of convergent evolution is explained THE exhausting chore of raising young is one a few birds manage to avoid. By laying their eggs in the nests of others, they dupe those others into feeding their nestlings. Such brood parasitism has arisen independently at least three times, in the groups known as cuckoos, cowbirds and honeyguides. That gives biologists a tool with which to explore the phenomenon of convergent evolution, in which unrelated lines with similar ways of life evolve similar adaptations that help them to thrive. One featu ………………………………