Enye indlela yokufunda nge-paleontology ingabizwa ngokuba yi-"dinosaur blitz".
Eli gama libolekwe kwiingcali zebhayoloji eziququzelela “ii-bio-blitzes.” Kwi-bio-blitz, amavolontiya ayahlangana ukuze aqokelele yonke isampuli yebhayoloji enokwenzeka kwindawo ethile yokuhlala ngexesha elithile. Umzekelo, ii-bio-blitzers zingalungiselela ngempelaveki ukuze ziqokelele iisampulu zazo zonke izilwanyana ezihlala emanzini nasemanzini kunye nezilwanyana ezirhubuluzayo ezinokufumaneka kwintlambo yeentaba.
Kwi-dino-blitz, ingcamango kukuqokelela iifosili ezininzi zohlobo olunye lwedinosaur ukusuka kwindawo ethile okanye kwixesha elithile kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Ngokuqokelela isampuli enkulu yohlobo olunye, izazi ze-paleontologists zinokujonga utshintsho kwi-anatomical ebomini bamalungu ohlobo.
Iziphumo ze-dino-blitz enye, eyabhengezwa ehlotyeni lowama-2010, zaphazamisa ihlabathi labazingeli beedayinaso. Zabangela nengxoxo eqhubekayo namhlanje.
Kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu, izazi ze-paleontologists bezizobe amasebe amabini ahlukeneyo kumthi wobomi wedinosaur: elinye leTriceratops nelinye leTorosaurus. Nangona kukho umahluko phakathi kwezi zimbini, zifana kakhulu. Zombini zazizizilwanyana ezitya utyani. Zombini zaziphila ngexesha leLate Cretaceous. Zombini zazihluma ii-frills ezinamathambo, njengezihlangu, emva kweentloko zazo.
Abaphandi bazibuza ukuba yintoni enokutyhilwa yi-dino-blitz ngezidalwa ezifana nezi.
Kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo ummandla waseMontana otyebileyo ngeefosili owaziwa ngokuba yiHell Creek Formation wafunyanwa ukuze kufunyanwe amathambo eTriceratops kunye neTorosaurus.
Amashumi amane ekhulwini eefosili zivela kwiTriceratops. Ezinye iikhakhayi zazilingana neebhola ekhatywayo zaseMelika. Ezinye zazilingana neemoto ezincinci. Kwaye zonke zafa kumanqanaba ahlukeneyo obomi.
Ngokuphathelele amathambo eTorosaurus, izinto ezimbini zabonakala: okokuqala, iifosili zeTorosaurus zazinqabile, kwaye okwesibini, akukho zikhakhayi zeTorosaurus ezingakavuthwa okanye eziselula ezifunyenweyo. Zonke iikhakhayi zeTorosaurus zaziyikhakhayi enkulu yabantu abadala. Kutheni kunjalo? Njengoko izazi ze-paleontologists zazicinga ngalo mbuzo kwaye zisithi akukho nto inokwenzeka emva kwenye, zashiywa nesigqibo esinye esingenakuphepheka. ITorosaurus yayingelulo uhlobo olwahlukileyo lwedinosaur. Idinosaur esele ibizwa ngokuba yiTorosaurus luhlobo lokugqibela lwabantu abadala lweTriceratops.
Ubungqina bufunyenwe kwiikhakhayi. Okokuqala, abaphandi bahlalutya ukwakheka kweekhakhayi. Balinganise ngononophelo ubude, ububanzi, kunye nobukhulu bekhakhayi nganye. Emva koko bahlola iinkcukacha ezincinci ezifana nokwakheka kobume bomphezulu kunye notshintsho oluncinci kwiikhakhayi. Uvavanyo lwabo lufumanise ukuba iikhakhayi zeTorosaurus "zilungisiwe kakhulu". Ngamanye amazwi, iikhakhayi zeTorosaurus kunye neekhakhayi zamathambo zazitshintshe kakhulu kubomi bezilwanyana. Kwaye ubungqina bokuguqulwa babubukhulu kakhulu kunobungqina obukwikhakhayi enkulu yeTriceratops, ezinye zazo ezazibonisa iimpawu zokutshintsha.
Ngomxholo obanzi, iziphumo ze-dino-blitz zibonisa ngamandla ukuba iidinosaur ezininzi ezichongiweyo njengeentlobo ezahlukeneyo zisenokuba luhlobo olunye kuphela.
Ukuba ezinye izifundo ziyayixhasa isiphelo seTorosaurus-njengomntu omdala-uTriceratops, oko kuthetha ukuba iidinosaur zeLate Cretaceous mhlawumbi zazingafani njengoko iingcali ezininzi ze-paleontologists zikholelwa. Iintlobo ezimbalwa zeedinosaur zinokuthetha ukuba zazingakwazi ukuzivumelanisa notshintsho kwindalo esingqongileyo kwaye/okanye ukuba zazisele ziwohloka. Nokuba yeyiphi na indlela, iidinosaur zeLate Cretaceous zazinokuba nethuba elikhulu lokutshabalala emva kwesiganeko esibi ngequbuliso esatshintsha iinkqubo zemozulu kunye neemeko zoMhlaba kuneqela elahlukeneyo.
——— Kuvela kuDan Risch
Ixesha leposi: Februwari-17-2023