2022年6月19日 星期日

World’s biggest plant discovered off Australian coast

 

全球最大的植物在澳洲海岸外被發現

【摘要2022.6.19..自由】國際新聞中心

The largest known plant on Earth - a seagrass roughly three times the size of Manhattan - has been discovered off the coast of Australia.

地球上已知的最大植物-大約是曼哈頓面積3倍大的一種海草-已在澳洲海岸外被發現。

Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant.

使用基因測定,科學家已判定在西澳洲的一片大型水下草甸其實是一棵植物。

It is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years. The seagrass covers about 200 sq km , researchers from the University of Western Australia said.

據信這片草甸從一顆種子擴散而成,歷時至少4500年。西澳洲大學的研究人員說,這棵海草覆蓋的面積約200平方公里。

The team stumbled upon the discovery by accident at Shark Bay, about 800km north of Perth. They had set out to understand the genetic diversity of the species - also known as ribbon weed - which is commonly found along parts of Australia’s coast.

研究團隊在伯斯北方約800公里的鯊魚灣意外找到這發現。他們先是著手了解這些常在澳洲部份海岸被發現的物種-也被稱為絲帶海草-的基因多樣性。

Researchers collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a "fingerprint" from each sample. They had aimed to discover how many plants made up the meadow.

研究人員從整個鯊魚灣蒐集幼芽,並且檢視了18000個基因標記來為每個樣本製造「指紋」。他們原本目標是要找出有多少棵植物構成這片草甸。

"The answer blew us away - there was just one!" said Jane Edgeloe, the study’s lead author.

該研究主要作者珍.艾吉羅說:「這個答案讓我們大吃一驚,居然只有一棵!」

新聞辭典

meadow:名詞,牧草地、草地、草甸。

stumble on/upon :偶然發現、偶遇、撞見。例句:They stumbled on/upon a bizarre plot. (他們偶然發現一個奇怪的陰謀。)

blow sb away:使大為驚訝;令非常高興。例句:This movie is so amazing, it will just blow you away.(這部電影太神奇了,只會讓你大吃一驚。)

 

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