Ungahlulela kanjani ubulili bama-dinosaur?

Cishe zonke izilwane eziphilayo ezinethambo lomgogodla zizalana ngokuzalana ngokocansi,sowenza ama-dinosaur. Izici zobulili zezilwane eziphilayo zivame ukuba nezimpawu zangaphandle ezisobala, ngakho-ke kulula ukuhlukanisa abesilisa nabesifazane. Isibonelo, ama-peacock amaduna anezimpaphe ezinhle zomsila, amabhubesi amaduna anezinsiba ezinde, kanti ama-elk amaduna anezimpondo futhi makhulu kunezinsikazi. Njengesilwane saseMesozoic, amathambo ama-dinosaur angcwatshwengaphansiumhlabathi iminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi, kanye nezicubu ezithambileokuyintokungabonisa ubuliliama-dinosaurzinyamalale, ngakho-ke ngempelakunzimaukuhlukanisa ubulili bama-dinosaur! Iningi lamathambo atholakale angamathambos, futhi zimbalwa kakhulu izicubu zemisipha kanye nezinto ezithathwe esikhumbeni ezingagcinwa. Ngakho-ke singahlulela kanjani ubulili bama-dinosaur kulezi zinsalela?

Isitatimende sokuqala sisekelwe ekutheni kukhona yini ithambo le-medullary. Lapho uMary Schweitzer, isazi se-paleontologist e-University of North Carolina e-United States, enza ukuhlaziywa okujulile kwe-"Bob" (i-tyrannosaur fossil), wathola ukuthi kukhona ungqimba lwamathambo olukhethekile emathanjeni ezinsalela, abalubiza ngokuthi ungqimba lwamathambo. Ungqimba lwamathambo luvela ngesikhathi sokuzala nokubeka izinyoni zesifazane, futhi ikakhulukazi luhlinzeka nge-calcium emaqandeni. Isimo esifanayo sibonwe nakuma-dinosaur amaningana, futhi abacwaningi bangenza izahlulelo mayelana nobulili bama-dinosaur. Ocwaningweni, i-femur yale fossil ye-dinosaur yaba yinto ebalulekile ekuboneni ubulili bama-dinosaur, futhi futhi iyithambo elilula ukuhlonza ubulili. Uma kutholakala ungqimba lwezicubu zamathambo ezinezimbobo nxazonke komgodi wethambo le-dinosaur, kungaqinisekiswa ukuthi lena yi-dinosaur yesifazane esikhathini sokubeka inzalo. Kodwa le ndlela ifaneleka kuphela kuma-dinosaur ezindizayo nama-dinosaur alungele ukuzala noma abelethile, futhi angakwazi ukuhlonza ama-dinosaur angakhulelwe.

Owesibiliisitatimende ukuhlukanisa ngokusekelwe esiqongweni sama-dinosaur. Izazi zemivubukulo zake zacabanga ukuthiubulili yayingahlukaniswa ngemihlobiso yama-dinosaur, indlela eyayifaneleka kakhulu ku-Hadrosaurus. Ngokusho kwe-ubukhuluukuntuleka kanye nesikhundla se-“umqhele"kwe-"I-Hadrosaurus, ubulili bungahlukaniswa. Kodwa isazi se-paleontologist esidumile uMilner siyakuphikisa lokhu, I-WHOsaid, “Kukhona umehluko emiqheleni yezinhlobo ezithile zama-dinosaur, kodwa lokhu kungacatshangwa futhi kucatshangelwe kuphela.” Naphezu kokuthikukhona umehlukophakathi izidalwa ze-dinosaur, ochwepheshe abakwazanga ukusho ukuthi yiziphi izici ze-crest ezingamaduna nokuthi yiziphi ezingowesifazane.

Isitatimende sesithathu ukwenza izahlulelo ngokusekelwe esakhiweni somzimba esiyingqayizivele. Isisekelo ukuthi ezincelisayo eziphilayo nezilwane ezihuquzelayo, owesilisa ngokuvamile usebenzisa izakhiwo zomzimba ezikhethekile ukuheha abesifazane. Isibonelo, ikhala lenkawu i-proboscis libhekwa njengethuluzi elisetshenziswa owesilisa ukuheha abesifazane. Ezinye izakhiwo zama-dinosaur kucatshangwa ukuthi zisetshenziselwa ukuheha abesifazane. Isibonelo, ikhala elinomgogodla le-Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus kanye nomqhele we-Guanlong wucaii kungaba yisikhali somlingo esisetshenziswa owesilisa ukuheha abesifazane. Kodwa-ke, azikho izinsalela ezanele zokuqinisekisa lokhu okwamanje.

Isitatimende sesine ukwahlulela ngobukhulu bomzimba. Ama-dinosaur amadala aqinile ohlobo olufanayo kungenzeka ukuthi ayengamaduna. Isibonelo, izingebhezi ze-Pachycephalosaurus yesilisa zibonakala zinzima kunezabesifazane. Kodwa ucwaningo oluphikisa lesi sitatimende, oluphakamisa umehluko wobulili kwezinye izinhlobo zama-dinosaur, ikakhulukazi i-Tyrannosaurus rex, luholele ekubandlululweni okukhulu kwengqondo emphakathini. Eminyakeni eminingi edlule, iphepha locwaningo lathi i-T-rex yesifazane yayinkulu kune-T-rex yesilisa. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kwakusekelwe kuphela ezibonelweni ezingama-25 ezingaphelele zamathambo. Sidinga amathambo engeziwe ukuze sihlaziye ngokugcwele izici zobulili zama-dinosaur.

Kunzima kakhulu ukunquma ubulili bezilwane eziphelile ezikhathini zasendulo ngokusebenzisa izinsalela, kodwa ucwaningo lwazo luzuzisa kakhulu ososayensi banamuhla futhi lunethonya elibalulekile emikhubeni yokuphila yama-dinosaur. Kodwa-ke, zimbalwa kakhulu izibonelo emhlabeni ezingafunda ngokunembile ubulili bama-dinosaur, futhi bambalwa kakhulu abacwaningi besayensi emikhakheni ehlobene.

Iwebhusayithi esemthethweni ye-Kawah Dinosaur:www.kawahdinosaur.com