jurassic.park-第18节

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！


nd　so　many　of　them！　Actual　damned　dinosaurs！　Just　as　real　as　you　could　want。
　　　　Gennaro　thought：　We　are　going　to　make　a　fortune　on　this　place。　A　fortune。
　　　　He　hoped　to　God　the　island　was　safe。

Grant　stood　on　the　path　on　the　side　of　the　hill；　with　the　mist　on　his　face；　staring　at　the　gray　necks　craning　above　the　palms。　He　felt　dizzy；　as　if　the　ground　were　sloping　away　too　steeply。　He　had　trouble　getting　his　breath。　Because　he　was　looking　at　something　he　had　never　expected　to　see　in　his　life。　Yet　he　was　seeing　it。
　　　　The　animals　in　the　mist　were　perfect　apatosaurs；　medium…size　sauropods。　His　stunned　mind　made　academic　associations：　North　American　herbivores；　late　Jurassic　horizon。　monly　called　〃brontosaurs。〃　First　discovered　by　E。　D。　Cope　in　Montana　in　1876。　Specimens　associated　with　Morrison　formation　strata　in　Colorado；　Utah；　and　Oklahoma。　Recently　Berman　and　McIntosh　had　reclassified　it　a　diplodocus　based　on　skull　appearance；　Traditionally；　Brontosaurus　was　thought　to　spend　most　of　its　time　in　shallow　water；　which　would　help　support　its　large　bulk。　Although　this　animal　was　clearly　not　in　the　water；　it　was　moving　much　too　quickly；　the　head　and　neck　shifting　above　the　palms　in　a　very　active　manner…a　surprisingly　active　manner…
　　　　Grant　began　to　laugh。
　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Hammond　said；　worried。　〃Is　something　wrong？〃
　　　　Grant　just　shook　his　head；　and　continued　to　laugh。　He　couldn't　tell　them　that　what　was　funny　was　that　he　had　seen　the　animal　for　only　a　few　seconds；　but　he　had　already　begun　to　accept　it…and　to　use　his　observations　to　answer　long…standing　questions　in　the　field。
　　　　He　was　still　laughing　as　he　saw　a　fifth　and　a　sixth　neck　crane　up　above　the　palm　trees。　The　sauropods　watched　the　people　arrive。　They　reminded　Grant　of　oversize　giraffes…they　had　the　same　pleasant；　rather　stupid　gaze。
　　　　〃I　take　it　they're　not　animatronic；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃They're　very　lifelike。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　they　certainly　are；〃　Hammond　said。　〃Well；　they　should　be；　shouldn't　they？〃
　　　　From　the　distance；　they　heard　the　trumpeting　sound　again。　First　one　animal　made　it；　and　then　the　others　joined　in。
　　　　〃That's　their　call；〃　Ed　Regis　said。　〃Weling　us　to　the　island。〃
　　　　Grant　stood　and　listened　for　a　moment；　entranced。
　　　　〃You　probably　want　to　know　what　happens　next；〃　Hammond　was　saying；　continuing　down　the　path。　〃We've　scheduled　a　plete　tour　of　the　facilities　for　you；　and　a　trip　to　see　the　dinosaurs　in　the　park　later　this　afternoon。　I'll　be　joining　you　for　dinner；　and　will　answer　any　remaining　questions　you　may　have　then。　Now；　if　you'll　go　with　Mr。　Regis　。　。　。〃
　　　　The　group　followed　Ed　Regis　toward　the　nearest　buildings。　Over　the　path；　a　crude　band…painted　sign　read：　〃Wele　to　Jurassic　Park。〃

THIRD　ITERATION

〃Details　emerge　more　clearly　as　the　fractal　curve　is　redrawn。〃
IAN　MAL
Jurassic　Park

They　moved　into　a　green　tunnel　of　overarching　palms　leading　toward　the　main　visitor　building。　Everywhere；　extensive　and　elaborate　planting　emphasized　the　feeling　that　they　were　entering　a　new　world；　a　prehistoric　tropical　world；　and　leaving　the　normal　world　behind。
　　　　Ellie　said　to　Grant；　〃They　look　pretty　good。〃
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Grant　said。　〃I　want　to　see　them　up　close。　I　want　to　lift　up　their　toe　pads　and　inspect　their　claws　and　feel　their　skin　and　open　their　laws　and　have　a　look　at　their　teeth。　Until　then　I　don't　know　for　sure。　But　yes；　they　look　good。　〃
　　　　〃I　suppose　it　changes　your　field　a　bit；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　Grant　shook　his　head。　〃It　changes　everything；〃　he　said。
　　　　For　150　years；　ever　since　the　discovery　of　gigantic　animal　bones　in　Europe；　the　study　of　dinosaurs　had　been　an　exercise　in　scientific　deduction。　Paleontology　was　essentially　detective　work；　searching　for　clues　in　the　fossil　bones　and　the　trackways　of　the　long…vanished　giants。　The　best　paleontologists　were　the　ones　who　could　make　the　most　clever　deductions。
　　　　And　all　the　great　disputes　of　paleontology　were　carried　out　in　this　fashion…including　the　bitter　debate；　in　which　Grant　was　a　key　figure；　about　whether　dinosaurs　were　warm…blooded。
　　　　Scientists　had　always　classified　dinosaurs　as　reptiles；　cold…blooded　creatures　drawing　the　heat　they　needed　for　life　from　the　environment。　A　mammal　could　metabolize　food　to　produce　bodily　warmth；　but　a　reptile　could　not。　Eventually　a　handful　of　researchers…led　chiefly　by　John　Ostrom　and　Robert　Bakker　at　Yale…began　to　suspect　that　the　concept　of　sluggish；　cold…blooded　dinosaurs　was　inadequate　to　explain　the　fossil　record。　In　classic　deductive　fashion；　they　drew　conclusions　from　several　lines　of　evidence。
　　　　First　was　posture：　lizards　and　reptiles　were　bent…legged　sprawlers；　hugging　the　ground　for　warmth。　Lizards　didn't　have　the　energy　to　stand　on　their　hind　legs　for　more　than　a　few　seconds。　But　the　dinosaurs　stood　on　straight　legs；　and　many　walked　erect　on　their　hind　legs。　Among　living　animals；　erect　posture　occurred　only　in　warm…blooded　mammals　and　birds。　Thus　dinosaur　posture　suggested　warm…bloodedness。
　　　　Next　they　studied　metabolism；　calculating　the　pressure　necessary　to　push　blood　up　the　eigbteen…foot…long　neck　of　a　brachlosaur；　and　concluding　that　it　could　only　be　acplished　by　a　four…chambered；　hot…blooded　heart。
　　　　They　studied　trackways；　fossil　footprints　left　in　mud；　and　concluded　that　dinosaurs　ran　as　fast　as　a　man；　such　activity　implied　warm　blood。　They　found　dinosaur　remains　above　the　Arctic　Circle；　in　a　frigid　environment　unimaginable　for　a　reptile。　And　the　new　studies　of　group　behavior；　based　largely　on　Grant's　own　work；　suggested　that　dinosaurs　had　a　plex　social　life　and　reared　their　young；　as　reptiles　did　not。　Crocodiles　and　turtles　abandon　their　eggs。　But　dinosaurs　probably　did　not。
　　　　The　warm…blooded　controversy　had　raged　for　fifteen　years；　before　a　new　perception　of　dinosaurs　as　quick…moving；　active　animals　was　acecpted…but　not　without　lasting　animosities。　At　conventions；　there　were　still　colleagues　who　did　not　speak　to　one　another。
　　　　But　now；　if　dinosaurs　could　be　cloned…why；　Grant's　field　of　study　was　going　to　change　instantly。　The　paleontological　study　of　dinosaurs　was　finished。　The　whole　enterprise…the　museum　balls　with　their　giant　skeletons　and　flocks　of　echoing　schoolchildren；　the　university　laboratories　with　their　bone　trays；　the　research　papers；　the　journals…all　of　it　was　going　to　end。
　　　　〃You　don't　seem　upset；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　Grant　shook　his　head。　〃It's　been　discussed；　in　the　field。　Many　people　imagined　it　was　ing。　But　not　so　soon。〃
　　　　〃Story　of　our　species；〃　Malcolm　said；　laughing。　〃Everybody　knows　it's　ing；　but　not　so　soon。〃
　　　　As　they　walked　down　the　path；　they　could　no　longer　see　the　dinosaurs；　but　they　could　hear　them；　trumpeting　softly　in　the　distance。
　　　　Grant　said；　〃My　only　question　is；　where'd　they　get　the　DNA？〃
　　　　Grant　was　aware　of　serious　speculation　in　laboratories　in　Berkeley；　Tokyo；　and　London　that　it　might　eventually　be　possible　to　clone　an　extinct　animal　such　as　a　dinosaur…if　you　could　get　some　dinosaur　DNA　to　work　with。　The　problem　was　that　all　known　dinosaurs　were　fossils；　and　the　fossilization　destroyed　most　DNA；　replacing　it　with　inorganic　material。　Of　course；　if　a　dinosaur　was　frozen；　or　preserved　in　a　peat　bog；　or　mummified　in　a　desert　environment；　then　its　DNA　might　be　recoverable。
　　　　But　nobody　had　ever　found　a　frozen　or　mummified　dinosaur。　So　cloning　was　therefore　impossible。　There　was　nothing　to　clone　from。　All　the　modern　genetic　technology　was　useless；　It　was　like　having　a　Xerox　copier　but　nothing　to　copy　with　it。
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃You　can't　reproduce　a　real　dinosaur；　because　you　can't　get　real　dinosaur　DNA。〃
　　　　〃Unless　there's　a　way　we　haven't　thought　of；〃　Grant　said。　〃Like　what？〃　she　said。
　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Grant　said。

Beyond　a　fence；　they　came　to　the　swimming　pool；　which　spilled　over　into　a　series　of　waterfalls　and　smaller　rocky　pools。　The　area　was　planted　with　huge　ferns。　〃Isn't　this　extraordinary？〃　Ed　Regis　said。　〃Especially　on　a　misty　day；　these　plants　really　contribute　to　the　prehistoric　atmosphere。　These　are　authentic　Jurassic　ferns；　of　course。〃
　　　　Ellie　paused　to　look　more　closely　at　the　ferns。　Yes；　it　was　just　as　he　said：　Serenna　veriformans；　a　plant　found　abundantly　in　fossils　more　than　two　hundred　million　years　old；　now　mon　only　in　the　wetlands　of　Brazil　and　Colombia。　But　whoever　had　decided　to　place　this　particular　fern　at　poolside　obviously　didn't　know　that　the　spores　of　veriformans　contained　a　deadly　beta…carboline　alkaloid。　Even　touching　the　attractive　green　fronds　could　make　you　sick；　and　if　a　child　were　to　take　a　mouthful；　he　would　almost　certainly　die…the　toxin　was　fifty　times　more　poisonous　than　oleander。
　　　　People　were　so　naive　about　plants；　Ellie　thought。　They　just　chose　plants　for　appearance；　as　they　would　choose　a　picture　for　the　wall。　It　never　occurred　to　them　that　plants　were　actually　living　things；　busily　performing　all　the　living　functions　of　respiration；　ingestion；　excretion；　reproduction…and　defense。
　　　　But　Ellie　knew　that；　in　the　earth's　history；　plants　had　evolved　as　petitively　as　animals；　and　in　some　ways　more　fiercely。　The　poison　in　Serenna　veriformans　was　a　minor　example　of　the　elaborate　chemical　arsenal　of　weapons　that　plants　had　evolved。　There　were　terpenes；　which　plants　spread　to　poison　the　soil　around