第一批到達太平洋群島的人類(筆者按:應為南島語族 Austronesian),也造成了許多鳥類的絕種。究竟有多少種鳥在那段時間絕種?因為沒有化石紀錄,因此數量變得難以估計。最近在《美國國家科學院院刊》(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)發表的研究結果估計,我們的老祖宗們大約造成了1000種鳥類的滅絕,這個數字約佔全世界鳥類的十分之一。
雖然曾有研究透過讓醫師用血液或唾液是否檢測出 IgE 抗體來判斷狗是否過敏(Ermel, R et al.,1997),但最新的研究卻發現,無論使用無論血清的 IgE 抗原或是唾液裡的 IgM 或 IgA 抗原都無法有效檢測出狗狗的過敏來源(Udraite Vovk Let al., 2019 & Lam ATH et al., 2019),甚至會造成偽陽性誤判。因此,目前學界公認唯一能識別食物過敏原的方法就是「食物排除法」(Food Elimination Method)。
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Villmoare, B., Kimbel, W. H., Seyoum, C., Campisano, C. J., DiMaggio, E. N., Rowan, J., … & Reed, K. E. (2015). Early Homo at 2.8 Ma from Ledi-Geraru, Afar, Ethiopia. Science, 347(6228), 1352-1355.
「As I glanced round I was surprised at the universality of the man’s interests. Here was a case of ancient coins. There was a cabinet of flint instruments. Behind his central table was a large cupboard of fossil bones. Above was a line of plaster skulls with such names as “Neanderthal,” “Heidelberg,” “Cro-Magnon” printed beneath them. It was clear that he was a student of many subjects. 」
「I remember the date very well, for it was in the same month that Holmes refused a knighthood for services which may perhaps some day be described…… I repeat, however, that this enables me to fix the date, which was the latter end of June, 1902, shortly after the conclusion of the South African War. 」
這兒提到 1902 年結束的南非戰爭是「第二次波耳戰爭」。真實歷史中,那時柯南道爾已經靠著福爾摩斯成為知名作家;他以醫師的本行親自參戰,擔任軍醫而受封爵士,也是柯南道爾爵士(Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle)名號中「爵士(Sir)」的由來。
對照如此明確的日期,令人愈想愈不對勁。與尼安德塔人並列的「Heidelberg」顯然指的是 Homo heidelbergensis ,但是第一件海德堡人化石要等到 1907 年才在德國出土,更早的 1902 年絕不可能存在石膏複製品,被福爾摩斯與華生見到。