Ama-dinosaur angenye yezinhlobo ezithakazelisa kakhulu emlandweni wokuziphendukela kwemvelo kwezinto eziphilayo eMhlabeni. Sonke sijwayelene kakhulu nama-dinosaur. Ayebukeka kanjani ama-dinosaur, ayedlani ama-dinosaur, ayezingela kanjani ama-dinosaur, ayehlala endaweni enjani ama-dinosaur, nokuthi kungani ama-dinosaur anyamalala… Ngisho nabantu abavamile bangachaza imibuzo efanayo ngama-dinosaur ngendlela ecacile nenengqondo. Sesivele sazi okuningi ngama-dinosaur, kodwa kunombuzo owodwa abantu abaningi abangase bangawuqondi noma bacabange ngawo: Aphile isikhathi esingakanani ama-dinosaur?
Izazi ze-paleontologists zake zakholelwa ukuthi isizathu sokuthi ama-dinosaur akhule kangaka ukuthi aphile iminyaka eyi-100 kuya kwengama-300. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengezingwenya, ama-dinosaur ayeyizilwane ezikhula kancane kancane, ezikhula kancane futhi ngokuqhubekayo kukho konke ukuphila kwazo. Kodwa manje sesiyazi ukuthi akunjalo. Ama-dinosaur amaningi akhula ngokushesha kakhulu futhi afa esemncane.
· Ungahlulela kanjani isikhathi sokuphila kwama-dinosaur?
Ngokuvamile, ama-dinosaur amakhulu aphila isikhathi eside. Isikhathi sokuphila kwama-dinosaur sasinqunywa ngokufunda izinsalela. Ngokusika amathambo ama-dinosaur afakwe izinsalela nokubala imigqa yokukhula, ososayensi bangahlulela iminyaka ye-dinosaur bese bebikezela isikhathi sokuphila kwe-dinosaur. Sonke siyazi ukuthi iminyaka yomuthi inganqunywa ngokubheka izindandatho zayo zokukhula. Njengemithi, amathambo e-dinosaur nawo akha "izindandatho zokukhula" minyaka yonke. Njalo ngonyaka umuthi ukhula, isiqu sawo sizokhula sibe yindilinga, ebizwa ngokuthi indandatho yonyaka. Kunjalo nangamathambo e-dinosaur. Ososayensi banganquma iminyaka yama-dinosaur ngokufunda "izindandatho zonyaka" zezinsalela zamathambo e-dinosaur.
Ngale ndlela, izazi ze-paleontologists zilinganisela ukuthi isikhathi sokuphila se-dinosaur encane i-Velociraptor sasiyiminyaka engaba yi-10 kuphela; esaseTriceratops sasiyiminyaka engaba ngu-20; nokuthi inkosi ye-dinosaur, u-Tyrannosaurus rex, kwathatha iminyaka engu-20 ukufika ebudaleni futhi ngokuvamile wafa phakathi kweminyaka engu-27 no-33. I-Carcharodontosaurus inesikhathi sokuphila esiphakathi kweminyaka engu-39 no-53; ama-dinosaur amakhulu anentamo ende anokudla uhlaza, njenge-Brontosaurus ne-Diplodocus, athatha iminyaka engu-30 kuya ku-40 ukufika ebudaleni, ngakho angaphila iminyaka engaba ngu-70 kuya ku-100 ubudala.
Isikhathi sokuphila sama-dinosaur sibonakala sihluke kakhulu emcabangweni wethu. Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi ama-dinosaur angavamile kangaka abe nezikhathi zokuphila ezivamile kangaka? Abanye abangani bangase babuze, yiziphi izici ezithinta isikhathi sokuphila sama-dinosaur? Yini eyabangela ukuba ama-dinosaur aphile amashumi ambalwa eminyaka kuphela?
Kungani ama-dinosaur engaphilanga isikhathi eside?
Isici sokuqala esithinta isikhathi sokuphila kwama-dinosaur yi-metabolism. Ngokuvamile, ama-endotherm ane-metabolism ephezulu aphila impilo emfushane kune-ectotherms ane-metabolism ephansi. Uma bebona lokhu, abangane bangase bathi ama-dinosaur ayizilwane ezihuquzelayo, kanti izilwane ezihuquzelayo kufanele zibe yizilwane ezinegazi elibandayo ezinesikhathi sokuphila eside. Eqinisweni, ososayensi bathole ukuthi ama-dinosaur amaningi ayizilwane ezinegazi elifudumele, ngakho amazinga aphezulu e-metabolism anciphisa isikhathi sokuphila sama-dinosaur.
Okwesibili, imvelo nayo yaba nomthelela obulalayo empilweni yama-dinosaur. Enkathini lapho ama-dinosaur ayephila khona, yize imvelo yayifanelekela ama-dinosaur ukuba aphile kuyo, yayisalokhu inzima uma iqhathaniswa nomhlaba wanamuhla: okuqukethwe yi-oxygen emkhathini, okuqukethwe yi-sulfur oxide emkhathini nasemanzini, kanye nenani lemisebe evela endaweni yonke konke kwakuhlukile kokwanamuhla. Imvelo enzima kangaka, ehambisana nokuzingela okunonya kanye nokuncintisana phakathi kwama-dinosaur, yabangela ukuba ama-dinosaur amaningi afe ngesikhathi esifushane.
Sekukonke, isikhathi sokuphila sama-dinosaur asiside njengoba wonke umuntu ecabanga. Isikhathi sokuphila esivamile kangaka savumela kanjani ama-dinosaur ukuba abe ngamakhosi eNkathi yeMesozoic, abuse umhlaba iminyaka engaba yizigidi ezingu-140? Lokhu kudinga ucwaningo olwengeziwe olwenziwa yizazi ze-paleontologists.
Iwebhusayithi esemthethweni ye-Kawah Dinosaur:www.kawahdinosaur.com
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Novemba-23-2023