Uma sikhuluma ngama-dinosaur, izithombe ezifika engqondweni yethu yilezo zithombe ezinkulu: i-Tyrannosaurus rex enomlomo obanzi, i-agile velociraptor, kanye ne-giants enentamo ende ezazibonakala zifinyelela esibhakabhakeni. Zibukeka sengathi azifani ngalutho nezilwane zanamuhla, akunjalo?
Kodwa uma bengikutshela ukuthi ama-dinosaur awazange aphele ngokuphelele—futhi aze avele ekhishini lakho nsuku zonke—ungacabanga ukuthi ngiyadlala.
Ukholwe noma ungakholwa, isilwane esiseduze kakhulu ngokwezakhi zofuzo nama-dinosaur...inkukhu!
Ungahleki—lokhu akulona ihlaya, kodwa ucwaningo oluqinile lwesayensi. Ososayensi bakhiphe inani elincane leprotheyini ye-collagen emathanjeni e-T. rex agcinwe kahle futhi bawaqhathanisa nezilwane zanamuhla. Umphumela omangalisayo:
Ukulandelana kwamaprotheni e-Tyrannosaurus rex kusondele kakhulu kokwenkukhu, kulandelwe yintshe kanye nengwenya.
Kusho ukuthini lokhu?
Kusho ukuthi inkukhu oyidla nsuku zonke empeleni “iyidayinaso encane enezimpaphe.”
Akumangalisi ukuthi abanye abantu bathi inkukhu ethosiwe ingaba yilokho okwakunambitheka njengama-dinosaur—iphunga elimnandi kakhulu, elicwebezelayo, futhi kulula ukulihlafuna.
Kodwa kungani izinkukhu, hhayi izingwenya, ezibukeka njengezibankwakazi?
Isizathu silula:
* Izinyoni azizona izihlobo ezikude zama-dinosaur; ziyinzalo eqondile yama-theropod dinosaur**, iqembu elifanayo nama-velociraptors kanye no-T. rex.
* Izingwenya, nakuba zindala, “ziyizihlobo ezikude” zama-dinosaur.
Okuthakazelisa nakakhulu, izinsalela eziningi zama-dinosaur zibonisa imibono yezimpaphe. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ama-dinosaur amaningi kungenzeka ukuthi ayebukeka njenge… izinkukhu ezinkulu kunalokho esasikucabanga!
Ngakho-ke ngesikhathi esizayo lapho usuzodla ukudla okuthile, ungathi ngokuhlekisa, “Ngidla imilenze yamadayinaso namuhla.”
Kuzwakala kungenangqondo, kodwa kuyiqiniso ngokwesayensi.
Nakuba ama-dinosaur ashiya uMhlaba eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-65 edlule, ayaqhubeka nokuba khona ngendlela ehlukile—egijima yonke indawo njengezinyoni, futhi ebonakala ematafuleni okudlela njengezinkukhu.
Ngezinye izikhathi, isayensi iwumlingo kakhulu kunamahlaya.
Iwebhusayithi esemthethweni ye-Kawah Dinosaur:www.kawahdinosaur.com