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The Medea hypothesis is a term coined by paleontologist Peter Ward for the anti-Gaian hypothesis that multicellular life, understood as a superorganism, is suicidal. In this view, microbial-triggered mass extinctions are attempts to return the Earth to the microbial-dominated state it has been for most of its history. The metaphor refers to the mythological Medea (representing the Earth), who kills her own children (multicellular life).
The Medea hypothesis is a term coined by paleontologist Peter Ward for the anti-Gaian hypothesis that multicellular life, understood as a superorganism, is suicidal. In this view, microbial-triggered mass extinctions are attempts to return the Earth to the microbial-dominated state it has been for most of its history. The metaphor refers to the mythological Medea (representing the Earth), who kills her own children (multicellular life).
<font color="#ff8000"> 美狄亚假说Medea hypothesis</font>是古生物学家彼得·沃德为<font color="#ff8000"> 反盖亚假说</font>创造的一个术语，该假说认为多细胞生命，被理解为超有机体，具有自杀倾向。按照这种观点，微生物引发的大规模物种灭绝是试图使地球恢复到历史上大部分时间以微生物为主的状态。这个比喻指的是神话中的美狄亚(代表地球) ，她杀死了自己的孩子(多细胞生命)。
'''<font color="#ff8000"> 美狄亚假说Medea hypothesis</font>'''是古生物学家彼得·沃德为'''<font color="#ff8000">反盖亚假说</font>'''创造的一个术语，该假说认为多细胞生命（也被理解为超有机体），具有自杀倾向。按照这种观点，微生物引发的大规模物种灭绝是试图使地球恢复到历史上大部分时间以微生物为主的状态。这个比喻指的是神话中的美狄亚(代表地球) ，她杀死了自己的孩子(代表多细胞生命)。
*[[Methane poisoning]], 3.5 billion years ago
*[[Methane poisoning]], 3.5 billion years ago
<font color="#ff8000"> 甲烷中毒Methane poisoning</font>，35亿年前
'''<font color="#ff8000"> 甲烷中毒Methane poisoning</font>'''，35亿年前
*The [[Great Oxygenation Event|oxygen catastrophe]], 2.45 billion years ago
*The [[Great Oxygenation Event|oxygen catastrophe]], 2.45 billion years ago
<font color="#ff8000"> 大氧化事件reat Oxygenation Event</font>|氧气灾难，24.5亿年前
'''<font color="#ff8000"> 大氧化事件reat Oxygenation Event</font>'''|氧气灾难，24.5亿年前
*At least five putative [[hydrogen sulfide]]-induced mass extinctions, such as the [[Permian–Triassic extinction event|Great Dying]], {{Ma|252.28}}
*At least five putative [[hydrogen sulfide]]-induced mass extinctions, such as the [[Permian–Triassic extinction event|Great Dying]], {{Ma|252.28}}
至少五次公认的硫化氢导致的大灭绝，比如<font color="#ff8000"> 二叠纪-三叠纪灭绝事件Permian–Triassic extinction event</font>
Peter Ward also believes that the current man-made climate change and mass extinction event may be considered to be the most recent Medean event. As these events are anthropogenic, he postulates that Medean events are not necessarily caused by microbes, but by intelligent life as well. He believes that the final mass extinction of complex life, roughly about 500 million years in the future, will also be considered a Medean event. Plant life that still exists by then will be forced to adapt to a warming and expanding Sun, causing them to remove even more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (which in turn will have already be due to the increasing heat from the Sun gradually speeding up the weathering process that removes them from the atmosphere), and ultimately accelerating the complete extinction of complex life by making carbon dioxide levels drop down to just 10 ppm, below which plants can no longer survive. However, Ward simultaneously argues that intelligent life such as humans may not necessarily just trigger future Medean events, but may eventually prevent them from occurring.
Peter Ward also believes that the current man-made climate change and mass extinction event may be considered to be the most recent Medean event. As these events are anthropogenic, he postulates that Medean events are not necessarily caused by microbes, but by intelligent life as well. He believes that the final mass extinction of complex life, roughly about 500 million years in the future, will also be considered a Medean event. Plant life that still exists by then will be forced to adapt to a warming and expanding Sun, causing them to remove even more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (which in turn will have already be due to the increasing heat from the Sun gradually speeding up the weathering process that removes them from the atmosphere), and ultimately accelerating the complete extinction of complex life by making carbon dioxide levels drop down to just 10 ppm, below which plants can no longer survive. However, Ward simultaneously argues that intelligent life such as humans may not necessarily just trigger future Medean events, but may eventually prevent them from occurring.
彼得沃德还认为，目前人为导致的气候变化和大规模物种灭绝事件可能被认为是最近的美狄亚事件。由于这些事件是人为的，他假定美狄亚事件不一定是由微生物引起的，也可能由智慧生命引起。他认为，复杂生命的最终大规模灭绝，大约在未来5亿年左右，这也将被视为美狄亚事件。到那时仍然存在的植物将被迫适应日益变暖和膨胀的太阳，从而使它们从大气中吸收更多的二氧化碳(反过来，这也由于太阳不断增加的热量导致逐渐加快的风化过程，使二氧化碳从大气中消失) ，并最终通过使二氧化碳浓度降低到只有10ppm(低于这个浓度，植物将无法存活)来加速复杂生命的完全灭绝。然而，沃德同时认为，像人类这样的智慧生命可能不一定只是触发未来的美狄亚事件，也有可能最终阻止它们的发生。