When cells divide to create copies of themselves or to makesperm and eggs, there is always a chance of genetic error.
当细胞分裂自我复制或者生成精子和卵子时，总有机会发生遗传错误。
Gene duplication, when a regular geneis copied twice, is one of those mishaps.
当一个常规基因被复制两次，基因复制就是这些失误中的一种。
Gene duplication is usually detrimental and can lead to deformation and death if not caught by thecell's repair machinery.
基因复制通常是有害的，如果没有得到细胞修复机制修复的话，会导致变形和死亡。
But in rare instances, it may also be evolutionarily important.
但在极少数情况下，它也许对进化很重要。
Scientists researching genes important in brain development believe they have found duplicationerrors that reveal how the human brain increased in size during evolutionary history.
研究基因对大脑进化重要性的科学家们认为他们已经发现了复制错误，该错误揭示了在进化过程中人类大脑的体积是如何增加的。
Whilestudying SRGAP2, a gene linked to epileptic seizures, scientists found that the gene had not onlyduplicated once, but a number of times throughout human lineage.
当研究SRGAP2这个同癫痫发作相关的基因时，科学家们发现基因不只复制一次，而是在人类的血统中多次复制。
Analysis of the SRGAP2 genes determined that duplications occurred 3.4 and 2.4 million years ago,during which time chimp like ancestors were evolving into the first pre humans and human likeancestors.
对SRGAP2基因的分析确定了复制发生在340万年至240万年前，那时，同黑猩猩相似的人类祖先正进化成为史前人类和类人祖先。
To test the function of the duplicated genes, scientists inserted human copies into mice.
为了测试复制了的基因它的功能，科学家们将人类基因的复制品注入到小鼠体内。
The micedidn't grow larger brains, but their brain cells looked more like human cells with thicker, longer andmore numerous spines to connect with other neurons.
小鼠并未长出更大的大脑，但是他们的脑细胞看起来象人类的细胞，有着更厚，更长，更多的棘状突起同其他神经元相连，
The neurons also grew more quickly,suggesting they could migrate farther during development and enable the brain to become larger.
神经元也生长得非常快，这表明它们在生长过程中能移动的更远，大脑也能变得更大。
About 30 genes have undergone gene duplication since humans and chimps diverged from acommon ancestor about six million years ago.
自六百万年前，人类和黑猩猩从同一个祖先分离开来，大约有30个基因已经发生基因复制。
Many of these genes control brain development.Researchers suspect that gene duplication is the key to unlocking the mysteries surroundinghuman brain evolution.
这其中的许多基因控制着大脑进化，研究人员猜测基因复制是揭开围绕在人类大脑进化周围谜题的关键。
