— inothi lensimu No. 10 —
I-Gondwana: amazwekazi aseningizimu ezweni lamadayinaso
Impendulo emfushane
Hlanganisa iNingizimu Melika, i-Afrika, i-Antarctica, i-Australia nenhlonhlo yaseNdiya njengezingcezu zepuleti eliphukile, uzothola i-Gondwana. Yaqala ukuqhekeka nge-Jurassic, cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-180 edlule, futhi lokho kwathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwezigidi eziyikhulu: i-Australia ne-Antarctica zagcina zehlukene ngemva kokushabalala kwamadayinaso. Lapho amazwekazi ehlukana, nezilwane ezazihlala kuwo zahlukana.
Lokho okuboniswa yimephu yasendulo
Vula imephu yomhlaba wasendulo: amazwekazi owaziyo awabonakali kalula kuyo. Awukwazi nje ukuthatha ugu lwanamuhla uluyise emuva esikhathini. Izinga lolwandle lalishintsha, ezinye izingxenye zomhlaba zaziphakama, ezinye zitshona ngaphansi kwamanzi. Yingakho imephu enjalo iwukwakhiwa kabusha kwesayensi, hhayi isithombe.
I-Gondwana ixhumanisa izindaba zezilwane ezahluke kakhulu, ngokwesibonelo i-Argentinosaurus yaseNingizimu Melika ne-Spinosaurus yaseNyakatho Afrika. Zombili zaphila emazweni amazwekazi aseningizimu, kodwa ngayinye ezweni layo: enye ePatagonia, enye ngasemifuleni yaseNyakatho Afrika.
Kungani amadayinaso aseningizimu ehlukahlukene kangaka
ENingizimu Melika yodwa kwakuphila izilwane ezizingelayo ezahluke ngokuphelele: i-Giganotosaurus enkulukazi ne-Carnotaurus enezimpondo. Zingezamaqembu ahlukene futhi zaphila ezingxenyeni ezahlukene ze-Cretaceous. Amazwekazi aseningizimu awakaze abe yisiqiwi esinezinhlobo ezifanayo ezingashintshi.
Lapho i-Gondwana iqhekeka, izilwandle zahlukanisa izingxenye zayo, kodwa ezinye izixhumanisi zomhlaba owomile zahlala isikhathi eside. Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwakuthintwa yisimo sezulu, izitshalo nokudla. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi amadayinaso okuqala avela khona lapha eningizimu, kwathi kamuva afinyelela enyakatho. Into eyatholakala ngo-2025 e-Wyoming, eneminyaka ecishe ibe yizigidi ezingu-230, yabonisa ukuthi enyakatho ayephila cishe kusenesikhathi ngokufanayo, ngakho umbuzo wokuthi amadayinaso adabukaphi usuvulekile futhi.
Ungayifunda kanjani imephu yezinsalela
Uphawu emephini lukhombisa isifunda okutholakale kuso izinsalela zesilwane esisekhathalogini. Alusho ukuthi sasiphila kanye kuleyo ndawo yogu lwasendulo. Imephu yethu iwumdwebo nje wokukuqondisa; ofuna ukujula uzodinga amamephu e-geology nezincazelo zezindawo lapho kwatholakala khona izinsalela.
Futhi bheka usuku. Imephu ibonisa i-Gondwana cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-160 edlule, futhi lokho kuyisithombe esisodwa sefilimu ende kakhulu. Ngemuva komumo ojwayelekile kufihlwe amashumi ezigidi zeminyaka yezinguquko.
Imibuzo nezimpendulo
Iyini i-Gondwana?
Izwekazi lasendulo laseningizimu, elivame ukubizwa ngokuthi yizwekazi elikhulukazi. Lalihlanganisa lokho okwaba yiNingizimu Melika, i-Afrika, i-Antarctica, i-Australia, inhlonhlo yaseNdiya kanye namazwe amancane amaningana.
I-Gondwana ihluke kanjani ku-Pangaea?
I-Pangaea yaqoqa cishe wonke umhlaba owomile woMhlaba. I-Gondwana indala: yakheka cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-600–530 edlule, kudala ngaphambi kwamadayinaso, kamuva yaba yingxenye ye-Pangaea, yaphinde yazimela lapho i-Pangaea iqhekeka.
Yimaphi amadayinaso aphila emazweni ayo?
I-Argentinosaurus, i-Giganotosaurus ne-Carnotaurus eNingizimu Melika, i-Spinosaurus eNyakatho Afrika, nezinye eziningi. Zaphila ezindaweni ezahlukene nangezikhathi ezahlukene.
Ingabe nase-Antarctica kwakukhona amadayinaso?
Yebo, nge-Mesozoic kwakufudumele kakhulu khona kunamuhla. Ezintabeni i-Transantarctic kutholakale amadayinaso asekuqaleni kwe-Jurassic: i-Cryolophosaurus edla inyama, enesiqhova ekhanda, ne-Glacialisaurus edla izitshalo. Okutholakele akukabi kuningi, ngoba iqhwa liyaphazamisa.
