“Impumlo yokumkani?”. Elo ligama elinikwe i-hadrosaur esandula ukufunyanwa enegama lesayensi elithi Rhinorex condrupus. Yayitya izityalo zeLate Cretaceous kwiminyaka eyi-75 yezigidi eyadlulayo.
Ngokungafaniyo nezinye ii-hadrosaurs, i-Rhinorex yayingenamathambo okanye i-crest entlokweni yayo. Endaweni yoko, yayinempumlo enkulu. Kwakhona, ayifunyanwanga kwindawo enamatye njengezinye ii-hadrosaurs kodwa yafunyanwa kwiYunivesithi yaseBrigham Young kwishelufu kwigumbi elingasemva.
Kangangamashumi eminyaka, abazingeli beefosili zeedinosaur babesenza imisebenzi yabo ngepick nefosholo kwaye ngamanye amaxesha idynamite. Babeqhekeza baze baqhumise iitoni zamatye ehlotyeni ngalinye, bekhangela amathambo. Iilabhoratri zeyunivesithi kunye neemyuziyam zembali yendalo zizele ngamathambo eedinosaur angaphelelanga okanye apheleleyo. Nangona kunjalo, inxalenye enkulu yeefosili isele kwiibhokisi kunye neeplasta ezifakwe kwiibhini zokugcina. Abanikwanga thuba lokubalisa amabali abo.
Le meko itshintshile ngoku. Ezinye izazinzulu ze-paleontologists zichaza isayensi ye-dinosaur njengephinda ivuselelwe okwesibini. Oko bakuthethayo kukuba kuthathwa iindlela ezintsha zokufumana ulwazi olunzulu ngobomi kunye namaxesha ee-dinosaur.
Enye yezo ndlela zintsha kukujonga nje oko sele kufunyenwe, njengoko kwakunjalo kwiRhinorex.
Kwiminyaka yoo-1990, amathambo eRhinorex agcinwa kwiYunivesithi yaseBrigham Young. Ngelo xesha, izazi ze-paleontologists zigxile kwimifanekiso yesikhumba efunyenwe kumathambo esiqu se-hadrosaur, nto leyo eyashiya ixesha elincinci leentloko zeengxondorha ezisezingxondorheni. Emva koko, abaphandi ababini abangoogqirha bagqiba ekubeni bajonge intloko yeedinosaur. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, kwafunyanwa iRhinorex. Iingcali ze-paleontologists zazikhanyisa umsebenzi wazo ngokutsha.
I-Rhinorex yayiqale yembiwa kwindawo yase-Utah ebizwa ngokuba yiNeslen. Iingcali zejografi zazinomfanekiso ocacileyo wendawo yakudala yeNeslen. Yayiyindawo yokuhlala ye-estuarine, umhlaba ophantsi onamagxobho apho amanzi acocekileyo netyuwa ayexubene kufutshane nonxweme lolwandle lwamandulo. Kodwa ngaphakathi, kwiikhilomitha ezingama-200 ukusuka apho, umhlaba wawuhlukile kakhulu. Ezinye ii-hadrosaurs, uhlobo lwe-crested, ziye zembiwa ngaphakathi. Ngenxa yokuba iingcali ze-palenontologists zangaphambili azizange zihlolisise i-skeleton epheleleyo yeNeslen, zazicinga ukuba nayo yayiyi-crested hadrosaur. Ngenxa yaloo ngcinga, kwagqitywa ekubeni zonke ii-crested hadrosaurs zinokusebenzisa izixhobo zangaphakathi kunye ne-estuarine ngokulinganayo. Kwakungekho de iingcali ze-palenotologists zaphinda zayihlola ukuba yayiyi-Rhinorex ngokwenene.
Njengesiqwenga sephazili esingena endaweni yaso, ukufumanisa ukuba iRhinorex yayiluhlobo olutsha lobomi beCretaceous yamva nje. Ukufumana "iNkosi yempumlo" kubonise ukuba iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zeehadrosaurs zahlengahlengiswa kwaye zavela ukuze zizalise iindawo ezahlukeneyo zendalo.
Ngokujonga nje ngokusondeleyo iifosili ezikwiibhini zokugcina izinto ezinothuli, izazi ze-paleontologists zifumana amasebe amatsha omthi wobomi wedinosaur.
——— Kuvela kuDan Risch
Ixesha lokuthumela: Feb-01-2023