A new study suggests ancient corals found deep in the ocean were the first animals to glow in the dark. To glow means to shine a steady light.
一项新的研究表明，在海洋深处发现的古代珊瑚是最早在黑暗中发光的动物。发光意味着发出稳定的光。
Many animals, insects and sea life have the ability to glow. But a study from biologists based in the United States suggests corals started glowing 540 million years ago.
许多动物、昆虫和海洋生物都有发光的能力。但美国生物学家的一项研究表明，珊瑚在5.4亿年前开始发光。
Andrea Quattrini is curator of corals at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. She was one of the writers of the study. Quattrini said the ability to light up helps creatures living in the deep-sea to communicate.
安德里亚·夸特里尼是华盛顿特区史密森尼自然历史博物馆的珊瑚馆长。她是这项研究的作者之一。夸特里尼说，发光的能力有助于生活在深海中的生物进行交流。
"It's very important in deep waters," Quattrini said.
“这在深水区非常重要，”夸特里尼说。
The new study recently appeared in the publication Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
这项新研究最近发表在《英国皇家学会学报B》上。
Scientists know about many ocean animals that light up, including fish, squid, octopus, jellyfish and even sharks. The ability to glow is called bioluminescence, it comes from a chemical reaction.
科学家们知道许多会发光的海洋动物，包括鱼、鱿鱼、章鱼、水母，甚至鲨鱼。发光的能力被称为生物发光，它来自化学反应。
Some animals use the light as protection. Others use it to find a mate.
有些动物用光来保护自己。其他人用它来寻找伴侣。
Steven Haddock is another study co-writer. He is a marine biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. He explained that scientists used a paintbrush attached to an underwater vehicle to lightly touch the luminous coral. Haddock said the coral, when touched, begins to glow pink, orange, white, blue and purple.
Steven Haddock是该研究的另一位合著者。他是加州蒙特利湾水族馆研究所的一名海洋生物学家。他解释说，科学家们使用连接在水下航行器上的画笔轻轻触摸发光的珊瑚。阿道克说，珊瑚被触摸时，会发出粉红色、橙色、白色、蓝色和紫色的光。
Danielle DeLeo is another study co-writer and a marine biologist at the Smithsonian. She said in some kinds of coral, the whole body glows. In others, "only parts of their branches will glow," she said.
丹妮尔·德利奥是史密森学会的另一位研究合著者和海洋生物学家。她说在某些种类的珊瑚里，全身都发光。在另一些植物中，“只有部分树枝会发光，”她说。
Scientists do not fully know the function of the glowing for coral. They do not know if it is meant to attract or keep away certain organisms, or possibly both. But DeLeo said the fact that corals light up so often means that the glowing serves a critical function.
科学家们并不完全了解珊瑚发光的功能。他们不知道这是为了吸引还是阻止某些生物，或者两者兼而有之。但德利奥说，珊瑚经常发光的事实意味着发光起着至关重要的作用。
It is one thing to try to learn about why the corals light up. But how did the researchers determine that coral had been glowing for over 500 million years?
试图了解珊瑚发光的原因是一回事。但研究人员是如何确定珊瑚已经发光超过5亿年的呢?
To answer the question, the scientists built a family tree using genetic data from 185 species of glowing coral. They decided the common ancestor of all the glowing coral lived 540 million years ago and could glow just like the current coral.
为了回答这个问题，科学家们利用185种发光珊瑚的基因数据建立了一个家谱。他们认为所有发光珊瑚的共同祖先生活在5.4亿年前，可以像现在的珊瑚一样发光。
Before this research, marine scientists believed the earliest example of a glowing sea creature was a shrimp that lived about 270 million years ago.
在这项研究之前，海洋科学家认为最早的发光海洋生物是生活在2.7亿年前的虾。
Coming up with an age of the earliest glowing coral helps add more information to the timeline of the development of life on Earth. The oldest glowing coral is now placed in the time of the Cambrian explosion, when life on Earth developed quickly.
提出最早发光珊瑚的年龄有助于为地球上生命发展的时间轴提供更多信息。最古老的发光珊瑚现在被放置在寒武纪大爆发时期，当时地球上的生命发展迅速。
一项新的研究表明，在海洋深处发现的古代珊瑚是最早在黑暗中发光的动物。发光意味着发出稳定的光。
Many animals, insects and sea life have the ability to glow. But a study from biologists based in the United States suggests corals started glowing 540 million years ago.
许多动物、昆虫和海洋生物都有发光的能力。但美国生物学家的一项研究表明，珊瑚在5.4亿年前开始发光。
Andrea Quattrini is curator of corals at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. She was one of the writers of the study. Quattrini said the ability to light up helps creatures living in the deep-sea to communicate.
安德里亚·夸特里尼是华盛顿特区史密森尼自然历史博物馆的珊瑚馆长。她是这项研究的作者之一。夸特里尼说，发光的能力有助于生活在深海中的生物进行交流。
"It's very important in deep waters," Quattrini said.
“这在深水区非常重要，”夸特里尼说。
The new study recently appeared in the publication Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
这项新研究最近发表在《英国皇家学会学报B》上。
Scientists know about many ocean animals that light up, including fish, squid, octopus, jellyfish and even sharks. The ability to glow is called bioluminescence, it comes from a chemical reaction.
科学家们知道许多会发光的海洋动物，包括鱼、鱿鱼、章鱼、水母，甚至鲨鱼。发光的能力被称为生物发光，它来自化学反应。
Some animals use the light as protection. Others use it to find a mate.
有些动物用光来保护自己。其他人用它来寻找伴侣。
Steven Haddock is another study co-writer. He is a marine biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. He explained that scientists used a paintbrush attached to an underwater vehicle to lightly touch the luminous coral. Haddock said the coral, when touched, begins to glow pink, orange, white, blue and purple.
Steven Haddock是该研究的另一位合著者。他是加州蒙特利湾水族馆研究所的一名海洋生物学家。他解释说，科学家们使用连接在水下航行器上的画笔轻轻触摸发光的珊瑚。阿道克说，珊瑚被触摸时，会发出粉红色、橙色、白色、蓝色和紫色的光。
Danielle DeLeo is another study co-writer and a marine biologist at the Smithsonian. She said in some kinds of coral, the whole body glows. In others, "only parts of their branches will glow," she said.
丹妮尔·德利奥是史密森学会的另一位研究合著者和海洋生物学家。她说在某些种类的珊瑚里，全身都发光。在另一些植物中，“只有部分树枝会发光，”她说。
Scientists do not fully know the function of the glowing for coral. They do not know if it is meant to attract or keep away certain organisms, or possibly both. But DeLeo said the fact that corals light up so often means that the glowing serves a critical function.
科学家们并不完全了解珊瑚发光的功能。他们不知道这是为了吸引还是阻止某些生物，或者两者兼而有之。但德利奥说，珊瑚经常发光的事实意味着发光起着至关重要的作用。
It is one thing to try to learn about why the corals light up. But how did the researchers determine that coral had been glowing for over 500 million years?
试图了解珊瑚发光的原因是一回事。但研究人员是如何确定珊瑚已经发光超过5亿年的呢?
To answer the question, the scientists built a family tree using genetic data from 185 species of glowing coral. They decided the common ancestor of all the glowing coral lived 540 million years ago and could glow just like the current coral.
为了回答这个问题，科学家们利用185种发光珊瑚的基因数据建立了一个家谱。他们认为所有发光珊瑚的共同祖先生活在5.4亿年前，可以像现在的珊瑚一样发光。
Before this research, marine scientists believed the earliest example of a glowing sea creature was a shrimp that lived about 270 million years ago.
在这项研究之前，海洋科学家认为最早的发光海洋生物是生活在2.7亿年前的虾。
Coming up with an age of the earliest glowing coral helps add more information to the timeline of the development of life on Earth. The oldest glowing coral is now placed in the time of the Cambrian explosion, when life on Earth developed quickly.
提出最早发光珊瑚的年龄有助于为地球上生命发展的时间轴提供更多信息。最古老的发光珊瑚现在被放置在寒武纪大爆发时期，当时地球上的生命发展迅速。
