to big old Komodo dragons,

到大的老科摩多龍。

more than 11 million fluid specimens live

超過1,100萬個液體標本活體

in the basement of the Field Museum in Chicago.

在芝加哥的菲爾德博物館的地下室。

Josh: There are 883 frogs in here.

喬希：這裡有883只青蛙。

Narrator: But why hold on to them all?

敘述者。但為什麼要把它們都抓在手裡？

And why keep them wet?

為什麼要讓它們保持溼潤？

Think of it like a library.

把它想象成一個圖書館。

Stored this way, wet specimens keep their shape

以這種方式儲存，溼的標本可以保持其形狀

and, in some cases, even DNA --

而且，在某些情況下，甚至是DNA --

basically, the closest researchers can get

基本上，研究人員能得到的最接近的

to keeping a live zoo in their labs.

在他們的實驗室裡飼養一個活的動物園。

Each jar is a book researchers can crack open

每個罐子都是研究人員可以打開的一本書

and learn from, sometimes discovering

並從中學習，有時發現

brand-new species right here on the shelves.

嶄新的物種就在這裡的貨架上。

But you can't just drop a Komodo dragon

但你不能就這樣扔下一條科莫多龍

straight into a tank of alcohol.

直接進入一罐酒精。

The Field Museum has to acquire

田野博物館必須要獲得

and painstakingly prepare them

並煞費苦心地準備它們

so they can be preserved for centuries to come.

所以它們可以被保存到未來的幾個世紀。

The Field Museum acquires its specimens in two ways:

田野博物館通過兩種方式獲取標本。

either through donations,

或者通過捐贈。

or sometimes researchers go out in the field

或者有時研究人員到野外去

to strategically euthanize specimens

對標本進行戰略性的安樂死

like this common water snake.

像這種常見的水蛇。

If you manage to grab one, they do not hesitate to bite.

如果你設法抓住一個，他們會毫不猶豫地咬人。

Narrator: Sara's research relies on new

敘述者。薩拉的研究依靠的是新的

and old specimens to see how changes in habitat

和舊標本，以瞭解棲息地的變化情況。

have affected the species over time.

隨著時間的推移，對該物種產生了影響。

And the first thing she does with a new one

而她對新產品做的第一件事就是

is grab its DNA.

是抓住它的DNA。

This is a fairly new step in the process,

這是一個相當新的程序步驟。

since DNA wasn't really used the way it is now

因為當時沒有像現在這樣真正使用DNA

until the '90s.

直到90年代。

It's not impossible,

這並不是不可能的。

but it is much easier to take tissue samples

但採集組織樣本要容易得多

from fresh animals

來自新鮮動物的

than it is to take them from preserved animals

而不是從被保存的動物身上取走它們。

and get really good results.

並獲得真正的好結果。

Narrator: She uses scissors and forceps

敘述者。她用剪刀和鑷子

to collect the DNA sample,

來收集DNA樣本。

first sanitizing them

首先對它們進行消毒

by burning away any random DNA

通過燃燒掉任何隨機的DNA

so the results aren't mixed.

所以結果並不複雜。

Sara: It does get so hot, though, that then I have to

薩拉：不過，確實很熱，然後我不得不

dip it into some ethanol

把它浸入一些乙醇中

so that it doesn't, essentially,

是以，從本質上講，它並沒有。

sear the animal as I work on it.

在我工作的過程中，對動物進行觀察。

Narrator: Sara takes the sample

敘述者。薩拉取樣

from the inside of the snake,

從蛇的內部。

so she doesn't mess up what it looks like on the outside.

這樣她就不會把外面的樣子搞亂。

Sara: The way I'm cutting is so that

薩拉：我的切割方式是這樣的

if somebody comes along,

如果有人來了。

they're still going to be able to count these scales.

他們仍將能夠計算這些規模。

Narrator: Plus, that's right around

敘述者。另外，這就在

where the liver is located.

肝臟所處的位置。

Sara: And there's the liver! Right there.

那是肝臟！就在那裡。就在那裡。

Narrator: It's Sara's favorite tissue to collect

敘述者。這是薩拉最喜歡收集的紙巾

for DNA extraction because it dissolves easily.

用於提取DNA，因為它容易溶解。

Sara: It turns everything pink.

薩拉：它把所有東西都變成了粉紅色。

It says "SR 1291."

上面寫著 "SR 1291"。

I double-check my tag is "SR 1291."

我仔細檢查了我的標籤是 "SR 1291"。

Narrator: Then the DNA goes into

敘述者。然後DNA進入

these massive liquid-nitrogen freezers

這些巨大的液氮冷凍機

with thousands of other DNA samples.

與其他數以千計的DNA樣本。

Now she's ready for formalin,

現在她已經準備好接受福爾馬林了。

the liquid that preserves the tissue

保存組織的液體

and keeps a specimen frozen in time.

並將一個標本凍結在時間中。

It's sort of like embalming it,

這有點像對它進行防腐處理。

just like a person at a funeral home.

就像一個人在殯儀館。

Narrator: Sara has to keep in mind what info she needs now

敘述者。薩拉必須牢記她現在需要什麼資訊

and what researchers might need in the future,

以及研究人員在未來可能需要的東西。

like the sex of the snake.

像蛇的性別。

Sara: It's always good to see if,

薩拉：能看到這一點總是好的，如果。

maybe if it's a male snake,

如果是公蛇的話，也許可以。

if you can find the hemipenes and pop them out.

如果你能找到半邊天並將其彈出。

Narrator: Sara will pose the snake

敘述者。薩拉將擺出蛇的姿勢

so you can see the visible penises

所以你可以看到可見的陰莖

from outside the jar without even opening it.

從罐子外面，甚至沒有打開它。

And this pose is how it will stay

而這個姿勢將一直保持下去

for the rest of its afterlife.

為其餘下的生命。

The coil doesn't just look snaky ...

線圈不只是看起來像蛇形...

Sara: There is some art to it.

薩拉：這裡面有一些藝術。

And you can stack lots and lots of them

而且你可以堆放很多很多的東西

on top of each other in a jar.

在一個罐子裡相互疊加。

One,

一。

two,

兩個。

three, four.

三，四。

I've got five snakes here,

我這裡有五條蛇。

and there's another, probably, six in this jar.

而這個罐子裡還有一個，可能是六個。

Narrator: Last step in this part of the process

敘述者。在這部分過程中的最後一步

is tucking it in under a formalin-soaked paper towel.

是把它塞進浸過福爾馬林的紙巾下面。

It keeps the snake saturated

它使蛇保持飽和狀態

without having to fill the tub.

而不需要填充浴缸。

Sara: Good night, snaky.

薩拉：晚安，蛇蠍美人。

Narrator: Over a few days,

敘述者。經過幾天的時間。

the formalin will set into the tissue,

福爾馬林會在組織中凝固。

leaving the snake fixed in place.

讓蛇固定在原地。

Almost like you're holding a rubber snake.

幾乎就像你拿著一條橡膠蛇。

Narrator: Larger animals might need more

敘述者。較大的動物可能需要更多的

than a few injections,

比打幾針更重要。

like this catfish Caleb is working on.

像Caleb正在研究的這條鯰魚。

Calculating the amount of formalin needed

計算所需福爾馬林的數量

is mostly based on experience and feel.

主要是基於經驗和感覺。

Too little, and your specimen will start to decay

太少，你的標本會開始腐爛

and get floppy.

並變得軟弱無力。

Too much, and your specimen will bloat

太多了，你的標本會膨脹的

and become disfigured.

並變得面目全非。

Caleb: You don't want to make the belly do this

你不會想讓肚皮做這個的

because you've pumped it with so much formalin.

因為你給它注射了這麼多福爾馬林。

Narrator: Once Caleb is confident his catfish

敘述者。一旦Caleb確信他的鯰魚

is sufficiently full,

是充分的。

he'll move it into a tank of even more formalin

他將把它移到一個更多福爾馬林的罐子裡

to soak for about a week.

浸泡大約一個星期。

Caleb: We're going to add a bit of cheesecloth

迦勒：我們要加一點乾酪布

just to make sure that no parts of it

只是為了確保它的任何部分

are sitting outside of the formalin.

正坐在福爾馬林的外面。

Narrator: After the formalin, the team switches over

敘述者。在福爾馬林之後，團隊切換到

to alcohol baths for long-term preservation,

在酒精浴中進行長期保存。

like with this Komodo dragon.

就像這條科摩多龍一樣。

The alcohol is less toxic than formalin,

酒精的毒性比福爾馬林小。

so it's safer for researchers in the long run,

所以從長遠來看，這對研究人員來說更安全。

and the specimen doesn't change much

而標本並沒有什麼變化

while it sits in its final resting tank,

當它坐在最後的休息槽中時。

just the color of the liquid.

只是液體的顏色。

Josh: Especially large specimens,

喬希：特別是大型標本。

they'll release a lot of debris and fatty oils

它們會釋放出大量的碎片和脂肪油

that were stored in their body,

儲存在他們身體裡的。

and it'll leech out into the ethanol,

它將滲出到乙醇中。

and that causes a lot of the discoloration.

而這導致了很多變色。

It's still doing its job

它仍然在做它的工作

and keeping the animal preserved.

並將動物保存起來。

Narrator: Most specimens in the wet collection

敘述者。溼法收藏中的大多數標本

are kept looking as lifelike as possible.

儘可能地保持栩栩如生的外觀。

But others ...

但其他人......。

Caleb: We can clear away all of the tissue,

我們可以清除所有的組織。

stain the bones and stain the cartilage,

對骨骼進行染色，對軟骨進行染色。

and we can end up with just a skeleton

而我們最終可能只得到一個骨架

that we can put under a microscope.

我們可以把它放在顯微鏡下觀察。

Narrator: Extra-small fish have extra-small bones

敘述者。超小的魚有超小的骨頭

that are difficult to keep track of.

這是很難追蹤的。

So instead of isolating the skeleton,

所以，與其說是孤立的骨架。

this method keeps it contained

這種方法可以使它得到控制

but visible inside the body.

但在體內可見。

First step is dyeing the specimen blue.

第一步是將標本染成藍色。

This specific blue dye is attracted to cartilage,

這種特定的藍色染料被吸引到軟骨上。

and the red dye clings to calcium.

而紅色染料則附著在鈣上。

A few days for each is typically enough to lock in the dye.

一般來說，每一種的幾天時間就足以鎖定染料。

The next step is to clear the fish.

下一步是清除魚群。

We use an enzyme called trypsin

我們使用一種叫做胰蛋白酶的酶

that digests proteins and break them down,

消化蛋白質並將其分解。

but it leaves the collagen

但它留下的是膠原蛋白

that holds everything together.

將所有的東西聯繫在一起。

Narrator: Making the fish completely see-through.

敘述者。讓魚完全透明化。

Finally, he dyes the bones red.

最後，他把骨頭染成紅色。

Caleb: One of the advantages of clearing the fish

Caleb: 清理魚群的一個好處是

and then putting it into the red dye

然後將其放入紅色染料中

is you can keep an eye on it

是你可以盯著它

to see how dark it's getting.

來看看天有多黑了。

Narrator: The whole process can run a few days

敘述者。整個過程可能需要幾天的時間

to around a month.

到一個月左右。

Done right, and your final product

做得對，你的最終產品

are these almost alien-looking specimens.

是這些幾乎看起來像外星人的標本。

Caleb: It's kind of like Jell-O,

迦勒：這有點像果凍。

and you store it in glycerin in the end,

而你最後把它儲存在甘油中。

because glycerin and collagen

因為甘油和膠原蛋白

have the same refractive index,

具有相同的折射率。

or the way that light passes through.

或光線通過的方式。

Narrator: These specimens go right into collections

敘述者。這些標本將被直接收集起來

alongside all the opaque ones,

與所有不透明的一起。

so researchers can access them

以便研究人員能夠訪問它們

when all they want to see is bones and cartilage.

當他們想看到的只是骨頭和軟骨時。

Caleb: You can put this under a microscope.

你可以把這個放在顯微鏡下觀察。

You can move bones around

你可以隨意移動骨骼

and see how one bone moving

看一個人的骨頭如何移動

affects other bones nearby.

影響到附近的其他骨骼。

Narrator: Entirely new species

敘述者。完全的新物種

have been discovered this way,

已經以這種方式被發現。

like these two fish species

像這兩個魚種

that are identical on the outside.

外表完全一樣的。

Caleb: But when you clear and stain them

但當你把它們清除並染色時

and you look at their bones,

和你看他們的骨頭。

you can actually see that there are differences

你實際上可以看到，有一些差異

in their skeletons between species.

在物種之間，他們的骨架的變化。

Narrator: New species can hide on the shelves for decades.

敘述者。新物種可以在貨架上隱藏幾十年。

Sara: So, here we go.

薩拉：那麼，我們開始吧。

Narrator: Like this spider-tailed horned viper

敘述者。就像這條蜘蛛尾巴的角蝰蛇一樣

kept under lock and key.

被鎖住了。

It was originally collected in the 1960s,

它最初是在1960年代收集的。

and researchers first thought it was

和研究人員首先認為是

a different species of viper with an abnormality.

一條有異常的不同種類的毒蛇。

Sara: This weird, weird parasite or a tumor.

薩拉：這種怪異的、奇怪的寄生蟲或腫瘤。

Narrator: But then ...

敘述者。但後來......。

Sara: In the early 2000s,

薩拉：在21世紀初。

some herpetologists came along,

一些爬蟲學家走了過來。

and they said,

他們說。

"You know, I think it's a whole new species altogether."

"你知道，我認為這完全是一個全新的物種。"

Narrator: Once a second one was found,

敘述者。有一次，又發現了第二個。

they compared it to this one.

他們把它與這個相比。

Sara: And the species Pseudocerastes urarachnoides

薩拉：還有一個物種Pseudocerastes urarachnoides

was described from this very individual,

就是從這個人身上描述的。

this holotype.

這個主模式。

Narrator: But specimens like this one

敘述者。但像這樣的標本

are only helpful if you can find them.

只有當你能找到它們時才會有幫助。

Caleb: It's kind of like a library,

迦勒：這有點像一個圖書館。

but jars of fish.

但是魚罐子。

Different families of fishes have numbers,

不同科的魚類都有編號。

and then within each family,

然後在每個家庭內。

they're arranged alphabetically by genus

它們是按屬的字母順序排列的

and then by species.

然後再按物種分類。

Narrator: There's even a field in the database

敘述者。數據庫中甚至有一個字段

for noting when and where a specimen was last seen.

用於記下最後一次見到標本的時間和地點。

Caleb: So if someone asks for it, we know that,

所以，如果有人要求，我們就知道。

well, at least at this date,

嗯，至少在這個日期。

it was spotted on the shelf in the collection.

它被發現在收藏品的架子上。

Narrator: And once you find it,

敘述者。而一旦你找到它

it's not always as simple as pulling a jar off a shelf.

它並不總是像從貨架上拉出一個罐子那麼簡單。

Josh: There are 883 frogs in here.

喬希：這裡有883只青蛙。

Narrator: And each one has its own ID number,

敘述者。而每一個人都有自己的身份證號碼。

so if a researcher wants to look at a specific frog ...

是以，如果一個研究人員想研究一隻特定的青蛙......。

Josh: I have to sit here and just pick each one up

我必須坐在這裡，把每一個人都撿起來。

one by one and be like, "Nope, not this one.

一個一個地看，然後說："不，不是這個。

"Nope, not this one," until you find the right one.

"不，不是這個，"直到你找到合適的。

Narrator: These frogs used to be stored separately,

敘述者。這些青蛙過去是分開存放的。

but at times ...

但有時...

Josh: We've definitely run out of space.

喬希：我們肯定已經沒有空間了。

They combined jars of the same species

他們把同一物種的罐子結合起來

but collected by different people,

但由不同的人收集。

collected from different places,

從不同的地方收集的。

collected at different times,

在不同時間收集的。

but then you end up with the same problem I mentioned here.

但是，你最終會遇到我在這裡提到的同樣問題。

Narrator: Getting rid of stuff is not an option.

敘述者。擺脫東西不是一種選擇。

Old specimens can be especially valuable.

老標本可能特別有價值。

Josh: This is the oldest specimen we have

喬希：這是我們擁有的最古老的標本

in the amphibian and reptile collection.

在兩棲動物和爬行動物收藏中。

Narrator: Sara has even developed a technique

敘述者。薩拉甚至開發了一種技術

for recovering DNA stuck inside them.

用於恢復卡在它們裡面的DNA。

The process is similar to getting DNA from fresh tissue,

這一過程類似於從新鮮組織中獲取DNA。

with a little extra work.

只要做一點額外的工作就可以了。

Sara: That extra work includes heating it up real high

薩拉：額外的工作包括把它加熱到很高的溫度。

and trying to digest it

並試圖消化它

and pull the DNA away from the formalin

並將DNA從福爾馬林中拉出

over a much longer period of time.

在一個更長的時間段內。

Narrator: But it can be hit-or-miss.

敘述者。但它可能是命中註定的。

It could be anywhere between 0% success

它可能是在0%的成功率之間的任何地方

all the way up to, like, maybe 60% or 70% success.

所有的方式，如，也許60%或70%的成功。

If all you have is a 100-year-old snake in a jar,

如果你所擁有的只是一條在罐子裡的百年老蛇。

you might as well give it a shot.

你不妨給它一個機會。

Narrator: Like library books,

敘述者。像圖書館的書。

some of these jars can sit untouched

有些罐子可以放著不動

on their shelves for years.