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Mystery Dance: On the Evolution of Human Sexuality
Explores the complex factors and long line of "ancestors" that have contributed to human sexuality and human sexual behavior
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Lynn Margulis
86 books211 followersLynn Margulis (1938-2011) was a Professor of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 3, 2023
Fantàstic! Margulis -i Sagan- no deceben. Aquest llibre té un fort component de biopaleoantropologia i de biologia: basant-se en les restes dels nostres avantpassats evolutius -Australopithecus, Erectus- i emprant la seva particular visió de l'evolució i articulant-la amb el feminisme, recrea les condicions que han portat a establir institucions de manteniment de la monogàmia i l'heterosexualitat. Parla també de la dominació masculina, la competència i selecció sexuals... i evidentment, de sexe bacterià i reptilià.
January 25, 2015
This book held my interest so much that I read it in two sessions, something I don't do as much as I did in youth. However, as a family member pointed out, the title has all the fun things: evolution, human, sexuality, mystery, dance. Mystery Dance is written by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan. Dorion is the son of Lynn Margulis and Carl Sagan, a mother and son collaboration.
Before I review this book, I have to say how I found Margulis and this book. I had been interested in a debate about neo-Darwinism's selfish gene between Denis Noble, Chair of Physiology at Oxford, and Richard Dawkins. The crux of the debate--to me--is the amount of causal emphasis of the evolutionary process at the gene or phenotype level. Margulis' contribution to this debate is her theory of symbiogenesis. Symbiogenesis, basically, suggests that the cells of living reproductive organisms developed and merged as a product of symbiotic relationships between separate organisms. A fascinating theory that can be seen throughout the Mystery Dance.
Even though Mystery Dance was very enjoyable, I am only giving it four stars. The style was a little...well irritating. I think the authors were trying to write in a style that mimicked the chaotic and multidimensional topic. They try to wrap in human language and words into this style. There is a whole chapter that discusses the mammalian mental mapping. It hypothesizes how the mammalian mental map developed through an extended nocturnal phase when mammals were primarily auditory, and how this contributed to human language. It was fascinating; however, this was too much of a tangent away from human sexual evolution for me.
The Mystery Dance was still a great book with insightful and enjoyable analysis.
The female of the human species has developed--unique in the animal kingdom--traits to hide ovulation: permanent development of ovulation characteristics like breasts, the loss of oestrus, and even cognitive tendencies like wearing cosmetics and high heels. Given the soft-wiring of the human brain and the significant amount of time and energy required to raise human children, the need for male help in child rearing is obvious. Do these ovulation hiding traits indicate a need to override the pre-homosapien male's interest only during ovulation--to maintain interest throughout child rearing?
Another unique trait analyzed is the strong characteristics of pre and post copulation competition in humans. Physical and behavioural traits for copulation usually focus on weeding out males before copulation or competition after copulation with multi-male partners? Other primates have pre or post copulation tendencies. Humans have very strong traits for BOTH pre and post copulation competition. The Mystery Dance analyzes the potential reasons for this.
Humans and mammals have also retained the R-complex forebrain from our synapsid (lizard) ancestors. Why have we retained this and what does it mean for human behaviour and sexuality? The R-complex has been mapped through studies to have a connection to the characteristics of racism, war, and rape. These are evolutionary cheaters. A group of a mammal species with weaker DNA traits will define the other (xenophobia), cull out the stronger DNA males, and force reproduction. Like most parasitic characteristics, they hold a lower tendency and have been culled through evolution, but the question is why they still remain and what they says about civilization.
An enjoyable book. A little strange in style with much conjecture and little citation. However, it is still a must read!
Before I review this book, I have to say how I found Margulis and this book. I had been interested in a debate about neo-Darwinism's selfish gene between Denis Noble, Chair of Physiology at Oxford, and Richard Dawkins. The crux of the debate--to me--is the amount of causal emphasis of the evolutionary process at the gene or phenotype level. Margulis' contribution to this debate is her theory of symbiogenesis. Symbiogenesis, basically, suggests that the cells of living reproductive organisms developed and merged as a product of symbiotic relationships between separate organisms. A fascinating theory that can be seen throughout the Mystery Dance.
Even though Mystery Dance was very enjoyable, I am only giving it four stars. The style was a little...well irritating. I think the authors were trying to write in a style that mimicked the chaotic and multidimensional topic. They try to wrap in human language and words into this style. There is a whole chapter that discusses the mammalian mental mapping. It hypothesizes how the mammalian mental map developed through an extended nocturnal phase when mammals were primarily auditory, and how this contributed to human language. It was fascinating; however, this was too much of a tangent away from human sexual evolution for me.
The Mystery Dance was still a great book with insightful and enjoyable analysis.
The female of the human species has developed--unique in the animal kingdom--traits to hide ovulation: permanent development of ovulation characteristics like breasts, the loss of oestrus, and even cognitive tendencies like wearing cosmetics and high heels. Given the soft-wiring of the human brain and the significant amount of time and energy required to raise human children, the need for male help in child rearing is obvious. Do these ovulation hiding traits indicate a need to override the pre-homosapien male's interest only during ovulation--to maintain interest throughout child rearing?
Another unique trait analyzed is the strong characteristics of pre and post copulation competition in humans. Physical and behavioural traits for copulation usually focus on weeding out males before copulation or competition after copulation with multi-male partners? Other primates have pre or post copulation tendencies. Humans have very strong traits for BOTH pre and post copulation competition. The Mystery Dance analyzes the potential reasons for this.
Humans and mammals have also retained the R-complex forebrain from our synapsid (lizard) ancestors. Why have we retained this and what does it mean for human behaviour and sexuality? The R-complex has been mapped through studies to have a connection to the characteristics of racism, war, and rape. These are evolutionary cheaters. A group of a mammal species with weaker DNA traits will define the other (xenophobia), cull out the stronger DNA males, and force reproduction. Like most parasitic characteristics, they hold a lower tendency and have been culled through evolution, but the question is why they still remain and what they says about civilization.
An enjoyable book. A little strange in style with much conjecture and little citation. However, it is still a must read!
December 3, 2020
mother&son duo margulis and sagan trace sex backwards though evolutionary history. each chapter begins with the description of a genderfluid shapeshifting exotic dancer embodying different stages of the evolution of sex in a "mystery dance". this bizarre literary device definitely gets the reader in the right frame of mind. each chapter is full to the brim and goes in a million directions at once but as it progresses the layers are stripped away.
not an amazing read overall. i was particularly unimpressed with margulis' wimpy critique of sociobiology. she was too willing to hang on to just-so stories that worked in the context of this book. still there are enough tidbits here and there to make it worthwhile. the strongest chapter is probably the last where the stripper has become a puddle of protists. here the imagination is put to good use and there aren't one million tangents about psychoanalysis.
not an amazing read overall. i was particularly unimpressed with margulis' wimpy critique of sociobiology. she was too willing to hang on to just-so stories that worked in the context of this book. still there are enough tidbits here and there to make it worthwhile. the strongest chapter is probably the last where the stripper has become a puddle of protists. here the imagination is put to good use and there aren't one million tangents about psychoanalysis.
April 5, 2026
性永遠是個神秘、讓人怯羞靦腆卻又引人入勝的話題。
琳·馬基利斯（Lynn Margulis）是如雷貫耳的知名生物學家。早在1970年，她提出廣受爭議的內共生理論（Endosymbiotic Theory），被科學期刊多次退稿。今天，內共生理論已是學界普遍接受的生物學常識。她寫的《性的歷史》，篇幅雖然不長，知識密度卻高得嚇人，將神話、演化生物學、民族誌與哲學共冶一爐，讀來相當不易，卻又趣味盎然。
精子大賽
有說男人的一次射精，理論上可讓整個紐約的女人懷孕。孜孜不倦的的睾丸不斷製造大量精子，從不間斷；與此相反的是女性的卵子早在她還是胎兒的時候，已在母親的體內預製打包，青春期時再按月排卵，數量十分有限。比起大量生產的精子，卵子自然是矜貴稀罕得多的生殖資源。精卵比例的嚴重傾斜，讓卵子成為雄性逐鹿的中原。
無論是甜言蜜語的誘惑，還是絕對武力的強迫，精子與卵子的結合是基因延續的本源。雄性要讓精子成為卵子的入幕之賓，就得各出奇謀；所謂「精子大賽」，說穿了其實就是雄性競爭雌性生殖資源的白熱化版本——雄性不止要爭奪與雌性的「交配權」，還要在女性體內爭奪與卵子的「受精權」。
研究靈長類動物的性生活，可以給我們很多有關精子大賽的洞見。黑猩猩是雜交的動物，雌雄的體形比例相若，要讓精子在競爭激烈的大賽中脫穎而出，唯有生產海量的精子來稀釋對手的精液；這就解釋了為何黑猩猩擁有一對極大的睾丸；有趣的是，大猩猩只有一對與其身形比例而言極小的睾丸，原因是雌雄的體形比例差不多是一倍有餘，強壯的雄性不止可用武力讓雌性屈服交配，更會獨佔所有雌性，組成後宮。沒有其他雄性的屆入，就沒有精子大賽，那又何需花費精力保留大睾丸？
按身形比例而言，人類的睾丸大小在黑猩猩與大猩猩之間，這強烈暗示了人類既難以獨佔雌性，卻又傾向雜交的事實。這些看似微不足道的漣漪，在歷史的汪洋裡漸漸積累成狂潮，成為確立人類社會結構的堅定力量。
不平等的性高潮
演化生物學有個爛笑話：誰個工程師會在污水渠上建個主題樂園？答案是天擇。
男性的龜頭滿佈敏感的神經末梢。性行為時，陰莖在女性的陰道裡抽插，直到高潮射精——男性的性高潮、射精與生育高度連結，說性高潮是育兒重責的另類「精神補償」，應該不會是大錯。
相比之下，女性的性高潮與生育的聯繫，就顯得貌合神離了。不錯，女性高潮時，子宮會收縮吸吮精子，增加受孕機會，但「子宮吸吮效應」從來都不是生育的必要條件。事實上，女性性器官最敏感的部位是陰蒂，它的神經末梢甚至比男性的龜頭更多；若以讓女性高潮的目的而論，用手或口直接刺激陰蒂，可能比抽插陰道性交更有效。人類的性交，卻一路將火力集中在錯誤的焦點上，豈不好笑？
如果女性的性高潮與生育的連結如此鬆散，那性高潮的目的又是什麼？有生物學家指女性的性高潮和男性的乳頭一樣，不過就是胎兒發育時的副產品；亦有理論指能讓女性高潮的男性，顯然對女性更細心體貼，於是高潮就成為有效的擇偶機制。但若果事實如此，那天擇豈不是鼓勵女性多和幾個男性性交，測試誰是最佳情人？
女性的逆襲
相比起女性，男性在體能上有壓倒性的優勢。但持有珍貴生育資源的女性絕非省油的燈，自然發展出其他柔性策略去對抗男性的性侵略。
靈長類雌性在發情期間，屁股與陰部會變得紅腫，向雄性發出明顯的交配訊號。很多靈長類動物在掌握群族權力之後，都會殺害非親生幼崽，確保幼崽是其子嗣。事實上，雄性就是憑著雌性這種「生殖廣告」，掌握幼崽是否己出的蛛絲馬跡。
但人類女性的排卵，卻是隱性的。換句話說，男性再也不能確定嬰兒的父親，殺嬰便伴隨著殺害親生骨肉的風險，讓隱性排卵變相保護了女性的基因投資。我們可以想象，在遙遠的某個昨天，曾發生過這樣的浪漫故事：某個聰明的男性，因個人力量有限，不能正面挑戰群族霸主的權威，卻悄悄地向他心喜的女性送肉；對這位女性而言，與其獨守空房，等待霸主的寵幸，不若與當下送肉的男性交配，換取他的肉食與守護。但在霸主前交配顯然風險極高，不得已只能隱蔽為之。事實上，今日人類的性行為普遍還是關上房門的事，可能就是這種演化遺緒的結果。
及後孩子呱呱墜地。孩子雖然逃過被殺的命運，卻還是個極脆弱的存在。於是男女組成團隊，共同照顧新生命，就顯得順理成章了。男的負責狩獵，提供肉食；女的負責照顧嬰兒，採集副食。此外，男性的為了獨佔女性的生殖資源，確認自己的骨肉，就得長伴女性。而女性的隱性排卵又讓整年交配成為可能，性行為變相成為提供親密感、滿足感、充實感甚至征服感的關係黏合劑——再之後的，都是歷史了。
或許最讓我們男性納罕的，是女性乳房的起源。對普遍的靈長類而言，雌性只有在哺乳期間，乳房才會隆起；但人類女性的乳房，自青春期後卻始終保持誘人的曲線，與哺乳完全脫軌。有說人類直立之後，女性乳房就成了「前面的屁股」，是性成熟的表徵；又有說乳房的脂肪，是身體健康的訊息。對我而言，這些解釋都沒有多少說服力。或許最誠實的答覆，就是我們並不知道。世上種種的美麗風景，總有地質學家替我們解惑，訴說它們的歷史；偏偏女性這對讓男性目眩神馳的山峰，我們對它的起源一知半解——只能說乳房美得讓人心亂神迷，蒙蔽理智，讓女性在演化史上留下最讓人屏息，卻又無解的誘人風景了。
細菌的性
在某個遙遠的昨天，一隻饑餓的古菌，吞噬了一隻食氧細菌。可能是因為消化不良吧？古菌並沒有消化這隻細菌，細菌反而持續分解氧氣，為古菌提供額外能量，為史上最奇幻的共生關係展開序幕——真核生物的誕生，竟然肇因於某次消化不良。
遠古的地球，是個絕不輕饒的活地獄。沒有臭氧層的保護，太陽的紫外線長驅直入，將生物的基因破壞殆盡——但生命總有出路。當兩隻或多隻的真核細胞走在一起，牠們便能透過溶合，修補損壞的基因——如果性的目的是基因交換，那麼地球上首次的性，或許不是那麼浪漫激情，卻是條保命的救生繩。及後細胞的減數分裂，生殖細胞特化成精子與卵子，則又是另一場波瀾壯闊的冒險了。
《性的歷史》絕對算不上易讀。如果沒有人工智能助手的協助，我可能讀懂得更少。全書知識含量密集，再加上點點恰到好處的色色鹽花調味，將性的歷史煮成一道風味獨特的開胃菜，一時讓人忍俊不禁，一時又讓人嘀咕，縱讀到難點還是忍不住繼續翻下去——難怪霍金戲言若他不能研究宇宙，便會研究女人；女性生理的迷團，複雜難解之處可能不下於宇宙。
天擇或許是個糟糕的工程師，但科學知識卻是後天補丁，多少都能調整天擇造成的遺憾。《性的歷史》不止教我們歷史，還教我們當個好情人——原來刺激陰蒂才是通往女性高潮的捷徑？我恨不得早點知道呢。
從處女情意結到一夫一妻制，再從當日的貞操觀念到今日的性解放，我們今日的社會結構，幾乎無一不是當日男女演化張力拉扯的結果。《性的歷史》給我們可能是最私密，卻又最重要的一節課。
琳·馬基利斯（Lynn Margulis）是如雷貫耳的知名生物學家。早在1970年，她提出廣受爭議的內共生理論（Endosymbiotic Theory），被科學期刊多次退稿。今天，內共生理論已是學界普遍接受的生物學常識。她寫的《性的歷史》，篇幅雖然不長，知識密度卻高得嚇人，將神話、演化生物學、民族誌與哲學共冶一爐，讀來相當不易，卻又趣味盎然。
精子大賽
有說男人的一次射精，理論上可讓整個紐約的女人懷孕。孜孜不倦的的睾丸不斷製造大量精子，從不間斷；與此相反的是女性的卵子早在她還是胎兒的時候，已在母親的體內預製打包，青春期時再按月排卵，數量十分有限。比起大量生產的精子，卵子自然是矜貴稀罕得多的生殖資源。精卵比例的嚴重傾斜，讓卵子成為雄性逐鹿的中原。
無論是甜言蜜語的誘惑，還是絕對武力的強迫，精子與卵子的結合是基因延續的本源。雄性要讓精子成為卵子的入幕之賓，就得各出奇謀；所謂「精子大賽」，說穿了其實就是雄性競爭雌性生殖資源的白熱化版本——雄性不止要爭奪與雌性的「交配權」，還要在女性體內爭奪與卵子的「受精權」。
研究靈長類動物的性生活，可以給我們很多有關精子大賽的洞見。黑猩猩是雜交的動物，雌雄的體形比例相若，要讓精子在競爭激烈的大賽中脫穎而出，唯有生產海量的精子來稀釋對手的精液；這就解釋了為何黑猩猩擁有一對極大的睾丸；有趣的是，大猩猩只有一對與其身形比例而言極小的睾丸，原因是雌雄的體形比例差不多是一倍有餘，強壯的雄性不止可用武力讓雌性屈服交配，更會獨佔所有雌性，組成後宮。沒有其他雄性的屆入，就沒有精子大賽，那又何需花費精力保留大睾丸？
按身形比例而言，人類的睾丸大小在黑猩猩與大猩猩之間，這強烈暗示了人類既難以獨佔雌性，卻又傾向雜交的事實。這些看似微不足道的漣漪，在歷史的汪洋裡漸漸積累成狂潮，成為確立人類社會結構的堅定力量。
不平等的性高潮
演化生物學有個爛笑話：誰個工程師會在污水渠上建個主題樂園？答案是天擇。
男性的龜頭滿佈敏感的神經末梢。性行為時，陰莖在女性的陰道裡抽插，直到高潮射精——男性的性高潮、射精與生育高度連結，說性高潮是育兒重責的另類「精神補償」，應該不會是大錯。
相比之下，女性的性高潮與生育的聯繫，就顯得貌合神離了。不錯，女性高潮時，子宮會收縮吸吮精子，增加受孕機會，但「子宮吸吮效應」從來都不是生育的必要條件。事實上，女性性器官最敏感的部位是陰蒂，它的神經末梢甚至比男性的龜頭更多；若以讓女性高潮的目的而論，用手或口直接刺激陰蒂，可能比抽插陰道性交更有效。人類的性交，卻一路將火力集中在錯誤的焦點上，豈不好笑？
如果女性的性高潮與生育的連結如此鬆散，那性高潮的目的又是什麼？有生物學家指女性的性高潮和男性的乳頭一樣，不過就是胎兒發育時的副產品；亦有理論指能讓女性高潮的男性，顯然對女性更細心體貼，於是高潮就成為有效的擇偶機制。但若果事實如此，那天擇豈不是鼓勵女性多和幾個男性性交，測試誰是最佳情人？
女性的逆襲
相比起女性，男性在體能上有壓倒性的優勢。但持有珍貴生育資源的女性絕非省油的燈，自然發展出其他柔性策略去對抗男性的性侵略。
靈長類雌性在發情期間，屁股與陰部會變得紅腫，向雄性發出明顯的交配訊號。很多靈長類動物在掌握群族權力之後，都會殺害非親生幼崽，確保幼崽是其子嗣。事實上，雄性就是憑著雌性這種「生殖廣告」，掌握幼崽是否己出的蛛絲馬跡。
但人類女性的排卵，卻是隱性的。換句話說，男性再也不能確定嬰兒的父親，殺嬰便伴隨著殺害親生骨肉的風險，讓隱性排卵變相保護了女性的基因投資。我們可以想象，在遙遠的某個昨天，曾發生過這樣的浪漫故事：某個聰明的男性，因個人力量有限，不能正面挑戰群族霸主的權威，卻悄悄地向他心喜的女性送肉；對這位女性而言，與其獨守空房，等待霸主的寵幸，不若與當下送肉的男性交配，換取他的肉食與守護。但在霸主前交配顯然風險極高，不得已只能隱蔽為之。事實上，今日人類的性行為普遍還是關上房門的事，可能就是這種演化遺緒的結果。
及後孩子呱呱墜地。孩子雖然逃過被殺的命運，卻還是個極脆弱的存在。於是男女組成團隊，共同照顧新生命，就顯得順理成章了。男的負責狩獵，提供肉食；女的負責照顧嬰兒，採集副食。此外，男性的為了獨佔女性的生殖資源，確認自己的骨肉，就得長伴女性。而女性的隱性排卵又讓整年交配成為可能，性行為變相成為提供親密感、滿足感、充實感甚至征服感的關係黏合劑——再之後的，都是歷史了。
或許最讓我們男性納罕的，是女性乳房的起源。對普遍的靈長類而言，雌性只有在哺乳期間，乳房才會隆起；但人類女性的乳房，自青春期後卻始終保持誘人的曲線，與哺乳完全脫軌。有說人類直立之後，女性乳房就成了「前面的屁股」，是性成熟的表徵；又有說乳房的脂肪，是身體健康的訊息。對我而言，這些解釋都沒有多少說服力。或許最誠實的答覆，就是我們並不知道。世上種種的美麗風景，總有地質學家替我們解惑，訴說它們的歷史；偏偏女性這對讓男性目眩神馳的山峰，我們對它的起源一知半解——只能說乳房美得讓人心亂神迷，蒙蔽理智，讓女性在演化史上留下最讓人屏息，卻又無解的誘人風景了。
細菌的性
在某個遙遠的昨天，一隻饑餓的古菌，吞噬了一隻食氧細菌。可能是因為消化不良吧？古菌並沒有消化這隻細菌，細菌反而持續分解氧氣，為古菌提供額外能量，為史上最奇幻的共生關係展開序幕——真核生物的誕生，竟然肇因於某次消化不良。
遠古的地球，是個絕不輕饒的活地獄。沒有臭氧層的保護，太陽的紫外線長驅直入，將生物的基因破壞殆盡——但生命總有出路。當兩隻或多隻的真核細胞走在一起，牠們便能透過溶合，修補損壞的基因——如果性的目的是基因交換，那麼地球上首次的性，或許不是那麼浪漫激情，卻是條保命的救生繩。及後細胞的減數分裂，生殖細胞特化成精子與卵子，則又是另一場波瀾壯闊的冒險了。
《性的歷史》絕對算不上易讀。如果沒有人工智能助手的協助，我可能讀懂得更少。全書知識含量密集，再加上點點恰到好處的色色鹽花調味，將性的歷史煮成一道風味獨特的開胃菜，一時讓人忍俊不禁，一時又讓人嘀咕，縱讀到難點還是忍不住繼續翻下去——難怪霍金戲言若他不能研究宇宙，便會研究女人；女性生理的迷團，複雜難解之處可能不下於宇宙。
天擇或許是個糟糕的工程師，但科學知識卻是後天補丁，多少都能調整天擇造成的遺憾。《性的歷史》不止教我們歷史，還教我們當個好情人——原來刺激陰蒂才是通往女性高潮的捷徑？我恨不得早點知道呢。
從處女情意結到一夫一妻制，再從當日的貞操觀念到今日的性解放，我們今日的社會結構，幾乎無一不是當日男女演化張力拉扯的結果。《性的歷史》給我們可能是最私密，卻又最重要的一節課。
January 3, 2026
There is probably no way in which I can review this better than Dawkins in Nature (1991).
See Here - it is reprinted in Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science.
If you received this as a Christmas present at Christmas 1991, my sympathies.
See Here - it is reprinted in Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science.
If you received this as a Christmas present at Christmas 1991, my sympathies.
April 1, 2024
La Danza Misteriosa construye un relato de la biologia evolutiva a partir de una narrativa metafórica y, en cierta esencia, poética. Plantea ciertas reflexiones, algunas de ellas contrastadas científicamente, pero otras las cuales pueden generar cierto debate en el seno de la cuestión mas sociológica del desarrollo humano.
January 30, 2022
This book was decent. There was a lot more biological information about animals, which I know are related to humans. I guess I was searching more about more modern sexuality. I skimmed the last half but learned some good things in the process!
February 16, 2024
Lynn is the goat. Can't wait to read more of her stuff.
March 16, 2008
SOmetime it gets boring, but the whole idea of take off human civilization's clothes to explain its evolution "backwards" is very interesting.
Algunas veces se torna aburrido, pera la idea de irle quitando la ropa al ser humano para explicar su evolucion de adelante hacia atras, es muy interesante.
Algunas veces se torna aburrido, pera la idea de irle quitando la ropa al ser humano para explicar su evolucion de adelante hacia atras, es muy interesante.
July 13, 2012
Have read this many, many times. Very, very interesting.
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