Enye indlela yokufunda nge-paleontology ingabizwa ngokuthi “i-dinosaur blitz.”
Leli gama libolekwe kososayensi bezinto eziphilayo abahlela “ama-bio-blitzes.” Ku-bio-blitz, izisebenzi zokuzithandela ziyahlangana ukuze ziqoqe yonke isampula yezinto eziphilayo engaba khona endaweni ethile yokuhlala ngesikhathi esithile. Isibonelo, ama-bio-blitzers angahlela ngempelasonto ukuze aqoqe amasampula azo zonke izilwane ezihlala emanzini nasemanzini nezilwane ezihuquzelayo ezingatholakala esigodini sezintaba.
Ku-dino-blitz, umqondo uwukuqoqa izinsalela eziningi zohlobo olulodwa lwe-dinosaur kusukela embhedeni othile wezinsalela noma esikhathini esithile ngangokunokwenzeka. Ngokuqoqa isampula enkulu yohlobo olulodwa, izazi ze-paleontologists zingabheka izinguquko zomzimba phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila kwamalungu alolu hlobo.
Imiphumela ye-dino-blitz eyodwa, eyamenyezelwa ehlobo lika-2010, yaphazamisa umhlaba wabazingeli bama-dinosaur. Yaphinde yavusa impikiswano eqhubekayo namuhla.
Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu, izazi ze-paleontologists zidwebe amagatsha amabili ahlukene emthini wokuphila wama-dinosaur: elilodwa likaTriceratops kanye nelinye likaTorosaurus. Nakuba kukhona umehluko phakathi kwalezi ezimbili, zifana kakhulu. Zombili zaziyizilwane ezidla uhlaza. Zombili zaziphila ngesikhathi se-Late Cretaceous. Zombili zazihluma ama-frills amathambo, njengezihlangu, ngemuva kwamakhanda azo.
Abacwaningi bazibuza ukuthi i-dino-blitz ingavezani ngezidalwa ezifana nalezi.
Esikhathini esiyiminyaka eyishumi isifunda saseMontana esicebile ngama-fossil esaziwa ngokuthi i-Hell Creek Formation satholakala ukuze sithole amathambo e-Triceratops kanye ne-Torosaurus.
Amaphesenti angamashumi amane amathambo avela eTriceratops. Amanye amakhanda ayelingana nebhola lezinyawo laseMelika. Amanye ayelingana nezimoto ezincane. Futhi zonke zafa ngezigaba ezahlukene zokuphila.
Ngokuphathelene nezinsalela zeTorosaurus, amaqiniso amabili avele: okokuqala, izinsalela zeTorosaurus zaziyivelakancane, kanti okwesibili, azikho izinsalela zeTorosaurus ezingakavuthwa noma ezisencane ezitholakale. Zonke izinsalela zeTorosaurus zaziyikhanda elikhulu labantu abadala. Kungani kunjalo? Njengoba izazi ze-paleontologists zazicabanga ngalo mbuzo futhi zikhipha ithuba elilodwa ngemva kwelinye, zashiywa nesiphetho esisodwa esingenakugwenywa. I-Torosaurus yayingelona uhlobo oluhlukile lwe-dinosaur. I-dinosaur ebilokhu ibizwa ngokuthi i-Torosaurus uhlobo lokugcina lwabantu abadala lwe-Triceratops.
Ubufakazi butholakale ezinkalweni. Okokuqala, abacwaningi bahlaziya ukwakheka okuphelele kwezinkalweni. Balinganisa ngokucophelela ubude, ububanzi, kanye nobukhulu benkalwe ngayinye. Base behlola imininingwane emincane njengokwakheka kokuthungwa kobuso kanye nezinguquko ezincane ezinkalweni. Ukuhlola kwabo kwathola ukuthi izinkalwe zeTorosaurus "zakhiwe kabusha kakhulu". Ngamanye amazwi, izinkalwe zeTorosaurus kanye nezinkalwe zethambo zazishintshe kakhulu empilweni yezilwane. Futhi lobo bufakazi bokuguqulwa babubukhulu kakhulu kunobufakazi obusenkalweni enkulu yeTriceratops, eminye yayo eyayibonisa izimpawu zokuguquka.
Ngomongo obanzi, okutholakele kwe-dino-blitz kusikisela ngokuqinile ukuthi ama-dinosaur amaningi ahlonzwe njengohlobo oluthile empeleni angaba uhlobo olulodwa kuphela.
Uma izifundo ezengeziwe zisekela isiphetho se-Torosaurus-njengomuntu omdala-i-Triceratops, kuzosho ukuthi ama-dinosaur e-Late Cretaceous cishe ayengafani njengoba izazi eziningi ze-paleontologists zikholelwa. Izinhlobo ezimbalwa zama-dinosaur zingasho ukuthi ayengavumelani kakhulu nezinguquko emvelweni kanye/noma ukuthi asevele ewohloka. Noma ngabe yikuphi, ama-dinosaur e-Late Cretaceous ngabe abe namathuba amaningi okushabalala ngemva kwesigameko esibi kakhulu esashintsha izinhlelo zezulu kanye nezindawo zoMhlaba kuneqembu elihlukahlukene kakhulu.
——— Kusuka kuDan Risch
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Feb-17-2023