I-blitz ye-dinosaur?

Enye indlela yocwaningo lwe-paleontological ingase ibizwe ngokuthi “i-dinosaur blitz.”
Leli gama libolekwe kuzazi zezinto eziphilayo ezihlela “ama-bio-blitzes.” Ku-bio-blitz, amavolontiya ahlangana ukuze aqoqe wonke amasampula ebhayoloji angenzeka endaweni ethile yokuhlala ngesikhathi esichaziwe. Isibonelo, ama-bio-blitzers angase ahlele ngempelasonto ukuqoqa amasampula azo zonke izilwane ezihlala emanzini nasemanzini nezilwane ezihuquzelayo ezingatholakala esigodini sezintaba.
Ku-dino-blitz, umqondo uwukuqoqa izinsalela eziningi zohlobo olulodwa lwe-dinosaur kusuka kumbhede othile wezinsalela zakudala noma kusukela kusikhathi esithile ngangokunokwenzeka. Ngokuqoqa isampula enkulu yohlobo olulodwa, izazi ze-paleontologists zingabheka izinguquko ze-anatomical phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila samalungu ezinhlobo zezilwane.

Imiphumela ye-dino-blitz eyodwa, eyamenyezelwa ehlobo lika-2010, yaphazamisa umhlaba wabazingeli bama-dinosaur. Baphinde basusa inkulumo-mpikiswano eshubile namuhla.
Iminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu, izazi ze-paleontologists zazidwebe amagatsha amabili ahlukene esihlahleni se-dinosaur sokuphila: esisodwa se-Triceratops nesinye se-Torosaurus. Nakuba kunomehluko phakathi kwalokhu okubili, kufana okuningi. Zombili zaziyizilwane ezidla uhlaza. Bobabili baphila ngesikhathi seLate Cretaceous. Zombili zahluma amatshe amathambo, njengezihlangu, ngemva kwamakhanda awo.
Abacwaningi bazibuza ukuthi i-dino-blitz ingase yembuleni ngezidalwa ezifanayo.

Esikhathini esiyiminyaka eyishumi isifunda sase-Montana esicebile ngezinsalela zakudala esaziwa ngokuthi i-Hell Creek Formation satholelwa amathambo e-Triceratops ne-Torosaurus.
Amaphesenti angu-40 ezinsalela avela eTriceratops. Ezinye izigebhezi zazilingana namabhola ebhola aseMelika. Ezinye zazilingana nezimoto ezincane. Futhi bonke bafa ezigabeni ezahlukene zokuphila.
Ngokuqondene nezinsalela ze-Torosaurus, amaqiniso amabili agqama: okokuqala, izinsalela ze-Torosaurus zaziyivelakancane, futhi okwesibili, azikho izingebhezi ze-Torosaurus ezingakavuthwa noma ezincane ezitholakele. Lonke ugebhezi lwekhanda lwe-Torosaurus lwaluwugebhezi lwekhanda olukhulu lwabantu abadala. Kungani kwakunjalo? Njengoba izazi ze-paleontology zazicabanga ngalo mbuzo futhi zikhipha isinqumo ngemva kokunye, zasala nesiphetho esisodwa esingenakugwenywa. I-Torosaurus yayingelona uhlobo oluhlukile lwe-dinosaur. I-dinosaur osekuyisikhathi eside ibizwa ngokuthi i-Torosaurus iwuhlobo lokugcina lwe-Triceratops yabantu abadala.

Ubufakazi batholakala ogebhezini. Okokuqala, abacwaningi bahlaziya i-gross anatomy yama-skulls. Balinganisa ngokucophelela ubude, ububanzi, nokujiya kogebhezi ngalunye. Bese behlola imininingwane emincane efana nokwakheka kokuthungwa kwendawo kanye nezinguquko ezincane kumafrill. Ukuhlola kwabo kunqume ukuthi ugebhezi lwe-Torosaurus “lwalulungiswe kabusha kakhulu”. Ngamanye amazwi, izingebhezi zikaTorosaurus kanye nama-bony frills aye abhekana nezinguquko ezinkulu ezimpilweni zezilwane. Futhi lobo bufakazi bokulungiswa kabusha babubukhulu kakhulu kunobufakazi ngisho nakugebhezi lwekhanda olukhulu lweTriceratops, obunye obubonisa izimpawu zoshintsho.
Esimweni esikhulu, okutholwe yi-dino-blitz kusikisela ngokuqinile ukuthi izibankwakazi eziningi ezihlonzwe njengezinhlobo zohlobo olulodwa empeleni zingaba uhlobo olulodwa kuphela.
Uma izifundo ezengeziwe zisekela isiphetho se-Torosaurus-as-adult-Triceratops, kuzosho ukuthi ama-dinosaurs e-Late Cretaceous cishe ayengewona ahlukahlukene njengoba izazi ze-paleontologists eziningi zikholelwa. Izinhlobo ezimbalwa zama-dinosaur zingasho ukuthi azivumelani nezimo ezishintshayo endaweni kanye/noma ukuthi zase zincipha kakade. Kunoma ikuphi, ama- Dinosaurs aLate Cretaceous ayengase ashabalale kulandela isenzakalo esiyinhlekelele engazelelwe esashintsha amasistimu nezimo zezulu zomhlaba kuneqembu elihluke kakhulu.

——— Kusuka ku-Dan Risch