Name: 在地球上存活超過2億年！為什麼「鱷魚」可以生存這麼久？ (How Crocodilians Just Keep on Surviving)
Uploaded: 2025-08-24T21:01:30.000Z
Duration: 7 min 24 s

Crocodilians do all kind of look the same.

關係子句

And their lineage has existed for hundreds of millions of years, weathering two different mass extinctions that took out the dinosaurs and also many other species.

它們的血統已經存在了數億年，經歷了兩次不同的大滅絕，恐龍和許多其他物種都因此滅絕。

進階被動語態

You'd be forgiven for thinking that both of those things were true at the same time, that crocodilians have always been short-legged, long-shaped predators lurking at the water's edge.

如果你認為這兩件事同時發生，鱷魚一直是潛伏在水邊的短腿長形掠食者，那你就大錯特錯了。

But the crocs we have today are not the same as the crocs of the distant past.

但今天的鱷魚與遙遠過去的鱷魚不同。

And though modern crocs are great survivors, they aren't even using the same strategies that allowed their ancestors to survive ancient apocalypses.

雖然現代鱷魚的生存能力很強，但它們使用的策略與它們的祖先在遠古大災難中生存的策略大相徑庭。

From armored plant-eaters to swift two-legged hunters, here is how the crocs of the past conquered the world and lived to tell about it.

從身披鎧甲的植食動物到敏捷的兩腳獵手，這裡講述了過去的鱷魚是如何征服世界並生生不息的。

Today's crocodilians include crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.

今天的鱷魚包括鱷魚、短吻鱷、凱門鱷和長尾鱷。

They are all large predators that find most of their food in and around shallow waters.

它們都是大型食肉動物，大部分食物都在淺水區及其附近地區。

These impressive reptiles are part of an ancient lineage called Pseudotsuchia, who got their start way back in the Triassic period, more than 200 million years ago.

這些令人印象深刻的爬行動物屬於一種名為偽鱷類的古老譜系，起源於 2 億多年前的三疊紀。

Triassic Pseudotsuchians were some of the most diverse and successful animals on land, and they came in a variety that makes modern crocs look like underachievers.

三疊紀偽鱷是陸地上最多樣化、最成功的動物之一，它們的多樣性讓現代鱷魚看起來不太成功。

They were the armored edisaurs, which stomped around on four legs looking for plants and animals to eat, and which could grow several meters long, every inch of which was covered in bony armor, plates, and spikes.

它們是鎧甲埃迪薩獸，用四條腿到處蹬踏，尋找植物和動物吃，可以長到幾米長，每一寸都覆蓋著骨甲、骨板和骨刺。

They were the massive Rauosuchians, quadrupedal apex predators that hunted on land and could be even bigger than the edisaurs.

它們是體型巨大的陶淵明類，是在陸地上狩獵的四足頂級掠食者，體型甚至可能比埃迪薩古人類還要大。

And there were even some two-legged carnivores like Poposaurus, which looked so much like early carnivorous dinosaurs that it took paleontologists a while to figure out that they were actually closer to crocs.

甚至還有一些兩腳食肉恐龍，比如波普龍（Poposaurus），它們看起來非常像早期的食肉恐龍，以至於古生物學家花了一段時間才發現它們實際上更接近於鱷魚。

The Triassic was a world where crocodile cousins competed with early dinosaurs and ancestral mammals, and often came out on top.

在三疊紀的世界裡，鱷魚的表兄弟們與早期恐龍和哺乳動物的祖先們展開了激烈的競爭，並且常常勝出。

But the period ended with a mass extinction around 200 million years ago.

但這一時期隨著大約 2 億年前的大滅絕而結束。

As the supercontinent of Pangaea broke apart, extensive volcanic activity wreaked havoc with the planet's climate.

隨著盤古大陸的分裂，大量火山活動對地球氣候造成了嚴重破壞。

It was a bad time for the Pseudotsuchians.

對於偽鱷類來說，這是一段艱難的時期。

The big apex predators and plant-eaters disappeared, leaving open ecological niches that would later be filled by dinosaurs.

大型頂級食肉動物和植食動物消失了，留下了後來由恐龍填補的生態空位。

The only Pseudotsuchian survivors were a small group called crocodylomorphs.

唯一倖存的偽鱷類是一小群被稱為鱷形目（crocodylomorphs）的動物。

Clearly, these survivors were doing something right.

So to figure out what made them different, a 2025 study took a close look at fossil jaws and teeth.

為了弄清是什麼讓它們與眾不同，2025 年的一項研究仔細觀察了化石的頜骨和牙齒。

They compared over a hundred species of crocs, living and extinct, from all over the world, plus a bunch of mammals and lizards for good measure.

他們比較了世界各地一百多種活著的和已經滅絕的鱷魚，還有一些哺乳動物和蜥蜴。

While many species have mouths built for specialized diets of plants or prey, the Triassic survivors were all omnivores or insectivores, and all relatively small.

雖然許多物種都有專門吃植物或獵物的嘴，但三疊紀的倖存者都是雜食動物或食蟲動物，而且體型都相對較小。

They were united by a lack of dietary specialization.

他們因缺乏飲食專業化而團結在一起。

他們和挑食的獵食者恰恰相反。

When the ecosystem is falling apart around you, having a refined palate is a recipe for disaster.

當你周圍的生態系統崩潰時，擁有精緻的味覺無異於自取災難。

A flexible diet is key for getting enough food during difficult times.

靈活的飲食是在困難時期獲得足夠食物的關鍵。

As the Triassic gave way to the Jurassic and then the Cretaceous, the crocodylomorphs gave rise to an even more diverse set of Mesozoic descendants.

隨著三疊紀讓位於侏羅紀，然後是白堊紀，鱷科動物產生了更加多樣化的中生代後裔。

New to the scene were the Notosuchians, who had short skulls that gave them a surprisingly mammal-like appearance and allowed them to enjoy diets of plants and bugs.

新出現的是南鱷，它們的頭骨較短，因此外觀與哺乳動物十分相似，可以以植物和昆蟲為食。

Meanwhile, another lineage called the Latosuchians left the land altogether, moving into the ocean and evolving large bodies and long skulls, not unlike what we would later see in whales.

同時，另一個被稱為拉托鱷類的物種則完全離開了陸地，進入了海洋，並進化出了巨大的身體和長長的頭骨，與我們後來看到的鯨魚很相似。

And then there was the group called Crocodylia, which couldn't commit to land or sea, and instead settled into rules as semi-aquatic predators, just like their descendants do today.

還有一種叫鱷魚的類群，它們不能在陸地或海洋上活動，而是作為半水生掠食者安居樂業，就像它們今天的後代一樣。

All in all, the Age of Dinosaurs was also an age of diverse ancient crocs.

總而言之，恐龍時代也是一個種類繁多的遠古鱷魚時代。

Of course, you know how the Age of Dinosaurs ended.

當然，你知道恐龍時代是如何結束的。

At the close of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago, a massive object struck the Earth and set off a global ecological disaster.

6600 萬年前的白堊紀末期，一個巨大的物體撞擊了地球，引發了一場全球性的生態災難。

Just like with the last one, only some of those crocs made it through.

和上一次一樣，只有部分鱷魚成功通過。

But they didn't use the same strategy as before.

但他們並沒有採用與以前相同的策略。

During the Triassic extinction, the survivors had mainly been land-dwelling species.

在三疊紀大滅絕期間，倖存者主要是陸棲物種。

But in a world full of dinosaur and mammal competition, there weren't many crocodylomorphs that had successfully picked up that lifestyle.

但是，在一個充滿恐龍和哺乳動物競爭的世界裡，成功地接受這種生活方式的鱷形目動物並不多。

So this time, the survivors were the semi-aquatic ones.

所以這一次，倖存的都是半水生動物。

Using the same method of comparing skulls, that study found that even though their lifestyle was different, the Cretaceous survivors once again had jaws and teeth that allowed for a variety of foods.

使用同樣的方法對頭骨進行比較，該研究發現，儘管生活方式不同，白堊紀倖存者的頜骨和牙齒還是可以吃到各種食物。

We actually see a similar life strategy today.

實際上，我們今天也能看到類似的生活策略。

Modern alligators and crocodiles are really good at eating basically anything.

現代短吻鱷和鱷魚基本上什麼都能吃。

Bugs, fish, aquatic prey, land prey, big food, small food.

蟲子、魚、水生獵物、陸地獵物、大食物、小食物。

Their ancestors—the ones who survived the latest mass extinction—shared this flexible diet.

它們的祖先（那些在最近一次大滅絕中倖存下來的動物）都有這種靈活的飲食習慣。

A similar trend has been seen in mammals.

Species with a more generalized diet had a higher survival rate during the Cretaceous extinction.

在白堊紀大滅絕期間，食性更廣泛的物種存活率更高。

Crocodilians also tend to reach sexual maturity pretty quickly.

And they lay lots of eggs at a time, which means they're good at making more crocs fast.

它們一次產很多卵，這意味著它們擅長快速製造更多的鱷魚。

During a mass extinction, rapid reproduction can mean populations bounce back and adapt that much more effectively.

在大滅絕期間，快速繁殖意味著種群能夠更有效地反彈和適應。

On top of that, freshwater habitats like lakes and rivers were a good place to be during the end-Cretaceous extinction.

此外，湖泊和河流等淡水棲息地也是白堊紀末期生物大滅絕的好地方。

That's partly because animals could hide underwater from some of the harsh environmental changes, and partly because freshwater ecosystems don't just rely on plants to form the base of the food chain, but also incorporate carcasses and other decaying matter.

這一方面是因為動物可以躲在水下，躲避一些惡劣的環境變化，另一方面是因為淡水生態系統不僅依靠植物構成食物鏈的基礎，還包括屍體和其他腐爛物質。

Once again, flexible food sources are a winner.

靈活的食物來源再次成為贏家。

So when it came time to survive the end of the Cretaceous, it was good to be a croc that lived… like a croc.

當白堊紀末期來臨時，能像鱷魚一樣生活的鱷魚是最好不過的了。

But the history of this group proves that what works in one mass extinction isn't necessarily gonna work in the next one.

但這個族群的歷史證明，在一次大滅絕中奏效的方法不一定會在下一次大滅絕中奏效。

And that is worth keeping in mind as another ecological catastrophe looms.

在另一場生態災難迫在眉睫之際，這一點值得牢記。

After the age of dinosaurs ended, crocs didn't diversify like before.

恐龍時代結束後，鱷魚不再像以前那樣多樣化。

We got more semi-aquatic predators and even some land-dwellers in the form of the carnivorous Cebacosacheans.

我們發現了更多的半水棲掠食者，甚至還有一些陸棲動物，如肉食性的宿鳥。

But the last 60 million years or so have been hard on crocs.

但是，在過去的 6000 萬年左右的時間裡，鱷魚的日子並不好過。

Mammals have been taking up lots of good ecospace on land and in the sea, and the world has been gradually getting colder and thus less friendly to cold-blooded reptiles.

哺乳動物佔據了陸地和海洋中大量良好的生態空間，世界逐漸變得寒冷，所以對冷血的爬行動物也不那麼友好了。

Today, the remaining crocs are semi-aquatic generalists, carrying on the legacy of their Cretaceous ancestors.

如今，剩下的鱷魚是半水生的雜食動物，繼承了白堊紀祖先的遺志。

This shape and lifestyle isn't the way crocs have always been, but it seems to be the latest winning strategy.

這種形狀和生活方式並非鱷魚的一貫風格，但似乎是最新的制勝策略。

And now that the world is experiencing another global ecological crisis, the future of crocs is uncertain.

而現在，世界正在經歷另一場全球生態危機，鱷魚的未來並不確定。

Thanks to human activity, habitats are being damaged, the climate is changing, and species are going extinct at an alarming rate.

由於人類的活動，棲息地正在遭到破壞，氣候正在發生變化，物種正在以驚人的速度滅絕。

Researchers hope that by studying crocs of the past, by learning how those ancient reptiles endured calamities of the distant past, we might get an idea of how we can help them survive the next one.

研究人員希望，通過研究過去的鱷魚，通過了解這些古老的爬行動物是如何在遙遠的過去經受住災難的，我們或許可以知道如何幫助它們在下一次災難中倖存下來。