Ingabe Izinyoni Zingamadayinaso? Kuchazwa Ubufakazi

Igatsha lihlala liyingxenye yesihlahla salo

Undlunkulu angaba inyoni, i-theropod nedayinaso ngesikhathi esifanayo. Lawa amaqembu angena kwamanye, hhayi amagama aphikisanayo. Indlela elula esihlahleni ithi Dinosauria → Theropoda → uzalo olunezinyoni. Leyo ndlela ayisho ukuthi wonke ama-theropod ayeyizinyoni.

I-Natural History Museum ibeka umsuka wezinyoni phakathi kwama-theropod amancane. I-T. rex yayingenye i-theropod, egatsheni elihlukile. Izinkukhu nama-tyrannosaur zinokhokho abahlanganyelwe; izinkukhu aziyona inzalo encane ye-T. rex.

Isiphetho sisekelwe ekuhlanganeni kwezici eziningi

Abacwaningi baqhathanisa izici eziningi zomzimba phakathi kwamafosili nezilwane eziphilayo. I-furcula eyakhiwe ngokuhlangana kwamathambo ekhola, ukwakheka kwesihlakala, izikhala ezinomoya kwezinye izingxenye zohlaka lwamathambo, amaqanda nezimpaphe konke kuyanikela. Asikho isici esisodwa esijwayelekile esinquma sonke isihlahla sozalo.

I-University of California Museum of Paleontology ichaza ngokuningiliziwe izici zamathambo ezihlanganyelwe. Ingxoxo yayo endala yandulela ukutholakala kwezimpaphe okuningi, ngakho incazelo yomzimba kufanele ifundwe kanye nobufakazi bamafosili bakamuva, ingathathwa njengohlu lwamanje lwakho konke okwaziwayo.

I-Archaeopteryx yenza ushintsho lubonakale

I-Archaeopteryx yahlanganisa amaphiko anezimpaphe namazinyo, iminwe enezinzipho nomsila omude onamathambo. Isisiza ukuqonda umzimba wezinyoni zokuqala ngaphandle kokuyibeka njengokuphela kukakhokho wazo zonke izinyoni zakamuva. Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kukhiqiza izihlobo emagatsheni ahlukene, kanti umlando wamafosili ugcina ezinye zazo.

I-Microraptor inikeza okunye ukuqhathanisa okuwusizo: yayinezimpaphe ezinde ezithweni zangaphambili nezangemuva kodwa ingaphandle kweqembu lezinyoni zanamuhla. Umhlahlandlela wethu wezimpaphe zamadayinaso uchaza ukuthi kungani izimpaphe ziwubufakazi bokwakheka komzimba nokuziphendukela kwemvelo, hhayi elinye igama lokundiza ngamandla amaphiko.

Kungani igama elithi “okhalweni lwenyoni” lingadukisa?

Amaqembu amadayinaso ajwayelekile afaka i-Ornithischia, evame ukuhunyushwa ngokuthi “okhalweni olufana nolwenyoni”, ne-Saurischia, “okhalweni olufana nolwesibankwa”. Naphezu kwalawo magama, izinyoni zingaphakathi kwegatsha lama-theropod elalivame ukubekwa ku-Saurischia. Amagama achaza izici ezasetshenziswa emlandweni, hhayi uzalo umfundi wanamuhla angaluqagela kuwo. Umhlahlandlela wokuhlukanisa we-National Park Service uwubeka ngokucacile lo mehluko.

Yini eyasinda ekuqothulweni kwasekupheleni kwe-Cretaceous?

Izinyoni ukuphela kozalo lwamadayinaso olusaphila namuhla. Amanye amagatsha anyamalala ekuqothulweni okwenzeka cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-66 edlule. Yingakho ukuthi “amadayinaso angewona izinyoni aqothulwa” kunembe kunokuthi “wonke amadayinaso aqothulwa”. Akudingeki sikhethe phakathi kwalezi zinto ezimbili: inhlekelele yenzeka ngempela, futhi inzalo yamadayinaso isaphila eduze kwethu.

Ukuze ufunde ngenhlekelele yemvelo uqobo, bheka ukuthi kungani amadayinaso angewona izinyoni anyamalala. Lapha isiphetho esiyinhloko simayelana nendawo esihlahleni sozalo: ijuba lihlala liyidayinaso noma ukubukeka nokuphila kwalo kuhluke kakhulu kwezihlobo zalo ezikude ezashabalala.