— inothi lensimu No. 3 —
Yiliphi idayinaso elalilikhulu kunawo wonke
Impendulo emfushane
Buza isazi sezinsalela ukuthi yiliphi idayinaso elalilikhulu kunawo wonke, sizokuphendula ngombuzo: usho elide kakhulu, eliphakeme kakhulu noma elisinda kakhulu? Kuyo yomithathu le mincintiswano kunqoba ama-sauropod, izilwane ezinkulukazi ezidla izitshalo ezinezintamo ezinde. Ngesisindo kuvame ukubalwa i-Argentinosaurus ne-Patagotitan. Ukumemezela umpetha kunzima: ezilwaneni ezinkulukazi eziningi kusele amathambo ambalwa nje, futhi izilinganiso zibalwa kabusha ngokuphindaphindiwe.
Kusho ukuthini ukuthi “elikhulu kunawo wonke”
Ubude, ukuphakama nesisindo yimincintiswano emithathu ehlukene, futhi nompetha kuyo uhlukile. I-Argentinosaurus idume ngesisindo: ivamise ukulinganiselwa kumathani angu-65–80, nakuba yaziwa ngamathambo ambalwa nje. Idayinaso elinomsila omude lingayidlula ngobude, kanti libe lilula kakhulu.
Ku-Diplodocus ingxenye enkulu yobude yayiyintamo nomsila. I-Brachiosaurus yayinqoba ngokuphakama: imilenze yayo yangaphambili yayinde kuneyangemuva, futhi umhlane wawukhuphukela emahlombe njengowendlulamithi. I-Mamenchisaurus yayigqama ngentamo ende ngokumangalisayo, ngisho uma iqhathaniswa namanye ama-sauropod. Ngakho igama elithi “elikhulu” lisho okuncane uma lingachazwanga.
Kungani izilinganiso zingavumelani
Uhlaka oluphelele lwesilwane esinkulukazi luyinhlanhla enkulu. Ngokuvamile isazi sezinsalela sithola amathambo ambalwa omgogodla namathambo emilenze; okunye kwakhiwa ngokulandela izihlobo, kanti isisindo sibalwa ngogqinsi lwamathambo noma ngevolumu yemodeli yomzimba. Yingakho ezinye izilwane “zinciphisa isisindo” emaphepheni. I-Patagotitan, eyaziwa kangcono kakhulu kune-Argentinosaurus, yaqale yalinganiselwa kumathani acishe abe ngu-70, kamuva yehliselwa cishe ku-55–57.
Ngisho nezihlobo eziseduze zazakhiwe ngokuhlukile: i-Apatosaurus yayinomzimba omkhulu nosindayo kakhulu kune-Diplodocus, nakuba ubude bazo bulinganiswa. Okuningi kuncike nasekutheni umcwaningi “ugqokisa” amathambo imisipha emingakanani. Ngezinye izikhathi akukho nokuhlolwa. I-Bruhathkayosaurus yaseNdiya yalinganiselwa ngo-2023 kumathani angaphezu kwekhulu, kodwa amathambo ayo abhidlika ngaphambi kokuba acwaningwe, ngakho leso sibalo samukelwa ngokuqapha.
Isilwane esizingelayo esasinkulu kunazo zonke
Lapha kuphikisana ezintathu: i-Tyrannosaurus, i-Spinosaurus ne-Giganotosaurus. Ende kunazo zonke cishe yi-Spinosaurus: cishe amamitha angu-14, isisindo esingamathani angu-7–7.5. Esinda kakhulu kulezo ezikalwe ngokuthembekile yi-Tyrannosaurus, ngoba isibonelo esikhulu kunazo zonke esesitholakele sasisinda cishe amathani angu-8.8. I-Giganotosaurus iseduze nayo, kodwa yaziwa ngezinsalela ezingaphelele kangako.
Kukhona nenye inkinga: yisiphi isilwane okufanele sibalwe? Esisakhula, esindala esiqinile nesibonelo esakhiwe kabusha ngezingcezu akuqhathaniseki kahle. Futhi kutholakale ingxenyana encane kakhulu yazo zonke izilwane ezake zaphila, ngakho amathuba mancane okuthi amarekhodi angempela aphakathi kwalezo esinazo. Ngokwesibalo sango-2024, isisindo se-Tyrannosaurus enkulu kunazo zonke singaba ngaphezu kokuphindwe ka-1.5 kwesisindo sesibonelo esikhulu kunazo zonke esesitholakele.
Ungazifunda kanjani izinombolo zekhathalogi
Izinombolo ezisemakhadini zikhona ukuze uzwe ubukhulu: lesi silwane sasilingana nomuntu, lesiya silingana namabhasi amathathu amiswe ngokulandelana. Zonke izinombolo ziyalinganiselwa. Uhla luthembeke kakhulu kunenombolo eyodwa, kodwa nemingcele yalo iyashintsha ngemva kokutholakala kwezinsalela ezintsha, njengoba kwenzeka nge-Patagotitan.
Imibuzo nezimpendulo
Yiliphi idayinaso elalisinda kakhulu?
Abaqhudelana kakhulu yi-Argentinosaurus (cishe amathani angu-65–80) ne-Patagotitan (cishe angu-55–57 ngokubala kwakamuva). Amathambo e-Argentinosaurus awaphelele kangangokuthi ingeke imenyezelwe njengompetha ngokuqiniseka.
Yiliphi idayinaso elalilide kunawo wonke?
Mhlawumbe i-Supersaurus, isihlobo se-Diplodocus. Ngaphambili yayilinganiselwa kumamitha angu-33–34; ukwakhiwa kabusha kwango-2021 kuthi okungenani angu-39. Lesi sibalo sethulwe kuphela enkulumweni yengqungquthela yesayensi, ngakho kusesekuseni ukusithatha njengesiphelele.
Yiliphi idayinaso elidla inyama elalilikhulu kunawo wonke?
Ngobude, mhlawumbe i-Spinosaurus: cishe amamitha angu-14. Ngesisindo yi-Tyrannosaurus, cishe amathani angu-8.8 esibonelweni esikhulu kunazo zonke esesitholakele. I-Giganotosaurus ayisali emuva kakhulu.
Kungani isisindo esiqondile singenakwaziwa?
Idayinaso alinakubekwa esikalini. Izicubu ezithambile cishe azigcineki, amathambo awaphelele, ngakho isisindo kufanele sibalwe ngobufakazi obungaqondile.
