按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
d。 〃To the extent possible； we want a full record of their activities。〃
〃Why？〃 Arby said。
〃Because；〃 Malcolm said； 〃this island presents a unique opportunity to study the greatest mystery in the history of our planet： extinction。〃
〃You see；〃 Malcolm said； 〃when InGen shut down their facility； they did it hastily； and they left some live animals behind。 That was five or six years ago。 Dinosaurs mature rapidly； most species attain adulthood in four or five years。 By now； the first generation of InGen dinosaurs … bred in a laboratory … has attained maturity； and has begun to breed a new generation； entirely in the wild。 There is now a plete ecological system on this island； with a dozen or so dinosaur species living in social groups； for the first time in sixty…five million years。〃
Arby said； 〃So why is that an opportunity？〃
Malcolm pointed across the plain。 〃Well； think about it。 Extinction is a very difficult research topic。 There are dozens of peting theories。 The fossil record is inplete。 And you can't perform experiments。 Galileo could climb the tower of Pisa and drop balls to test his theory of gravity。 He never actually did it； but he could have。 Newton used prisms to test his theory of light。 Astronomers observed eclipses to test Einstein's theory of relativity。 Testing occurs throughout science。 But how can you test a theory of extinction？ You can't。〃
Arby said； 〃But here。。。〃
〃Yes；〃 Malcolm said。 〃What we have here is a population of extinct animals artificially introduced into a closed environment； and allowed to evolve all over again。 There's never been anything like it in all history。 We already know these animals became extinct once。 But nobody knows why。〃
〃And you expect to find out？ In a few days？〃
〃Yes；〃 Malcolm said。 〃We do。〃
〃How？ You don't expect them to bee extinct again； do you？〃
〃You mean； right before our eyes？〃 Malcolm laughed。 〃No； no。 Nothing like that。 But the point is； for the first time we aren't just studying bones。 We're seeing live animals； and observing their behavior。 I have a theory； and I think that even in a short time； we will see evidence for that theory。〃
〃What evidence？〃 Kelly said。
〃What theory？〃 Arby said。
Malcolm smiled at them。 〃Wait；〃 he said。
The Red Queen
The apatosaurs had e down to the river in the heat of the day； their graceful curving necks were reflected in the water as they bent to drink。 Their long； whip…like tails swung back and forth lazily。 Several younger apatosaurs； much smaller than the adults； scampered about in the center of the herd。
〃Beautiful； isn't it？〃 Levine said。 〃The way it all fits together。 Just beautiful。〃 He leaned over the side and shouted to Thorne； 〃Where's my mount？〃
〃ing up；〃 Thorne said。
The rope now brought up a heavy wide…based tripod； and a circular mount on top。 There were five video cameras atop the mount； and dangling wires leading to solar panels。 Levine and Malcolm began to set it up。
〃What happens to the video？〃 Arby said。
〃The data gets multiplexed； and we uplink it back to California。 By satellite。 We'll also hook into the security network。 So we'll have lots of observation points。〃
〃And we don't have to be here？〃
Right。〃
〃And this is what you call a high hide？〃
〃Yes。 At least； that's what scientists like Sarah Harding call it。〃
Thorne climbed up to join them。 The little shelter was now quite crowded； but Levine didn't seem to notice。 He was entirely focused on the dinosaurs； he turned a pair of binoculars on the animals spread across the plain。 〃Just as we thought；〃 he said to Malcolm。 〃Spatial oranization。 Infants and juveniles in the center of the herd； protective adults on the periphery。 The apatosaurs use their tails as defense；〃
〃That's the way it looks。〃
〃Oh； there's no question about it；〃 Levine said。 He sighed。 〃It's so agreeable to be proven right。〃
On the ground below； Eddie unpacked the circular aluminum cage； the same one they had seen in California。 It was six feet tall and four feet in diameter； constructed of one…inch titanium bars。 〃What do you want me to do with this？〃 Eddie said。
〃Leave it down there；〃 Levine said。 〃That's where it belongs。〃
Eddie set the cage upright in the corner of the scaffolding。 Levine climbed down。
〃And what's that for？〃 Arby said； looking down。 〃Catching a dinosaur？〃
In point of fact； just the opposite。〃 Levine clipped the cage to the side of the scaffolding。 He swung the door open and shut； testing it。 There was a lock in the door。 He checked the lock； too； leaving the key in place； with its dangling elastic loop。 〃It's a predator cage； like a shark 〃 Levine said； 〃If you're down here walking around and anything happens； you can climb in here； and you'll be safe。〃
〃In case what happens？〃 Arby said； with a worried look。
〃Actually； I don't think anything will happen；〃 Levine said。 〃Because I doubt the animals will pay any attention to us； or to this little house； once the structure's been concealed。〃
〃You mean they won't see it？〃
〃Oh； they'll see it；〃 Levine said； 〃but they'll ignore it。〃
〃But if they smell us。。。〃
Levine shook his head。 〃We sited the hide so the prevailing wind is toward us。 And you may have noticed these ferns have a distinct smell。〃 It was a mild； slightly tangy odor； almost like eucalyptus。
Arby fretted。 〃But suppose they decide to eat the ferns？〃
〃They won't；〃 Levine said。 〃These are Dicranopterus cyatheoides。 They're mildly toxic and cause a rash in the month。 In point of fact； there's a theory that their toxicity first evolved back in the Jurassic； as a defense against dinosaur browsers。〃
〃That's not a theory；〃 Malcolm said。 〃It's just idle speculation。〃
〃There's some logic behind it；〃 Levine said。 〃Plant life in the Mesozoic must have been severely challenged by the arrival of very large dinosaurs。 Herds of giant herbivores； each animal consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter each day； would have wiped out any plants that didn't evolve some defense … a bad taste； or nettles； or thorns； or chemical toxicity。 So perhaps cyatheoides evolved its toxicity back then。 And it's very effective； because contemporary animals don't eat these ferns； anywhere on earth。 That's why they're so abundant。 You may have noticed。〃
〃Plants have defenses？〃 Kelly said。
〃Of course they do。 Plants evolve like every other form of life； and they've e up with their own forms of aggression； defense； and so on。 In the nineteenth century； most theories concerned animals … nature red in tooth and claw； all that。 But now scientists are thinking about nature green in root and stem。 We realize that plants； in their ceaseless struggle to survive； have evolved everything from plex symbiosis with other animals； to signaling mechanisms to warn other plants； to outright chemical warfare。〃
Kelly frowned。 〃Signaling？ Like what？〃
〃Oh； there are many examples；〃 Levine said。 〃In Africa acacia trees evolved very long； sharp thorns … three inches or so … but that only provoked animals like giraffes and antelope to evolve long tongues to get past the thorns。 Thorns alone didn't work。 So in the evolutionary arms race； the acacia trees next evolved toxicity。 They started to produce large quantities of tannin in their leaves； which sets off a lethal metabolic reaction in the animals that eat them。 Literally kills them。 At the same time； the acacias also evolved a kind of chemical warning system among themselves。 If an antelope begins to eat one tree in a grove； that tree releases the chemical ethylene into the air； which causes other trees in the grove to step up the production of leaf tannin。 Within five or ten minutes； the other trees are producing more tannin； making themselves poisonous。
〃And then what happens to the antelope？ It dies？〃
〃Well； not any more；〃 Levine said； 〃because the evolutionary arms race continued； Eventually； antelopes learned that they could only browse for a short time。 Once the trees started to produce more tannin； they had to stop eating it。 And the browsers developed new strategies。 For example； when a giraffe eats an acacia tree； it then avoids all the trees downw