Ubani i-dinosaur oyisimungulu?

I-Stegosaurus i-dinosaur eyaziwa kakhulu ebhekwa njengenye yezilwane eziyisimungulu eMhlabeni. Kodwa-ke, lesi "siwula esisodwa" sasinda eMhlabeni iminyaka engaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-100 kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sokuqala se-Cretaceous lapho sishabalala. I-Stegosaurus yayiyi-dinosaur enkulu edla uhlaza eyayiphila esikhathini se-Late Jurassic. Ngokuyinhloko zazihlala emathafeni futhi ngokuvamile zazihlala nezinye izibankwakazi ezidla uhlaza emihlambini emikhulu.

I-Stegosaurus yayiyi-dinosaur enkulu, cishe amamitha angu-7 ubude, amamitha angu-3.5 ubude, futhi inesisindo esingamathani angu-7. Naphezu kokuba wonke umzimba wayo ulingana nendlovu yesimanje, yayinobuchopho obuncane kuphela. Ubuchopho be-Stegosaurus babungafani kakhulu nomzimba wayo omkhulu, ubungako be-walnut kuphela. Ukuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi ubuchopho be-Stegosaurus babungaphezudlwana kobekati, obucishe buphindwe kabili ubukhulu bobuchopho bekati, futhi buncane kakhulu kunebhola legalofu, linesisindo esingaphezudlwana nje kwe-ounce, isisindo esingaphansi kwama-ounces amabili. Ngakho-ke, isizathu esenza i-Stegosaurus ithathwe “njengesiwula sokuqala” phakathi kwama-dinosaurs kungenxa yobuchopho bayo obuncane kakhulu.

I-Stegosaurus kwakungeyona yodwa i-dinosaur enobuhlakani obuphansi, kodwa idume kakhulu phakathi kwazo zonkeama-dinosaurs. Nokho, siyazi ukuthi ubuhlakani emhlabeni webhayoloji abulingani nosayizi womzimba. Ikakhulukazi phakathi nomlando omude wama-dinosaurs, izinhlobo eziningi zazinobuchopho obuncane ngokumangalisayo. Ngakho-ke, ngeke sahlulele ukuhlakanipha kwesilwane ngokusekelwe kusayizi womzimba waso kuphela.

Nakuba lezi zilwane ezinkulu seziphelile isikhathi eside, i-Stegosaurus isabhekwa njenge-dinosaur ebaluleke kakhulu ocwaningweni. Ngocwaningo lwe-Stegosaurus nezinye izinsalela zama-dinosaur, ososayensi bangaqonda kangcono indawo engokwemvelo yenkathi yama-dinosaur futhi banikeze ulwazi olumayelana nesimo sezulu kanye ne-ecosystems ngaleso sikhathi. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, lezi zifundo ziphinde zisisize siqonde kangcono umsuka nokuvela kwempilo kanye nezimfihlakalo zokuhlukahluka kwemvelo eMhlabeni.

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