— inothi lensimu No. 7 —
I-Triceratops: izimpondo, isihlangu sentamo nokuphila ekupheleni kwe-Cretaceous
Impendulo emfushane
Izimpondo ezintathu, umlomo onjengowenyoni nesihlangu samathambo ngemuva kwekhanda: i-Triceratops iyaziwa ngisho ngumuntu ongakwazi ukuhlukanisa i-Jurassic ne-Cretaceous. Lesi silwane esidla izitshalo, esasinamamitha angu-8–9 ubude, saphila eNyakatho Melika ekugcineni impela kwe-Cretaceous, eduze ne-Tyrannosaurus. Ukuthi sasibukeka kanjani kwaziwa kahle. Ukuthi izimpondo nesihlangu kwakusebenzani nokuthi sasiziphatha kanjani, lapho siqiniseka kancane.
Umakhelwane we-Tyrannosaurus
Kulokhu impi yasefilimini ayiyona into eqanjiwe: i-Triceratops ne-Tyrannosaurus zaphila ngesikhathi esisodwa nasezindaweni ezifanayo. Amathambo azo atholakala ezingqimbeni ezifanayo, ngokwesibonelo kungqimba lwe-Hell Creek. Emathanjeni ama-Triceratops kutholakala imihuzuko yamazinyo e-Tyrannosaurus, ngakho ayeyingxenye yemenyu yalesi silwane esizingelayo.
I-Triceratops endala yayikhula ifike kumamitha angu-8–9. Yayihamba ngemilenze emine, isika izitshalo ngomlomo wayo futhi izigaye ngamazinyo ahlelwe ngemigqa eminyene. Ikhanda layo elidumile lenza kube lula ukungaboni okunye, kodwa lokho kuyiphutha: umzimba wawumkhulu futhi usinda, ufanele izikhali zayo.
Izimpondo nesihlangu kwakusebenzani
Izimpondo ezimbili ezinde ngaphezu kwamehlo, olwesithathu ekhaleni, ngemuva isihlangu sentamo samathambo. Ezihlotsheni zayo lo mqondo wenziwa ngenye indlela: i-Styracosaurus, ngokwesibonelo, yayihlobise isihlangu sayo ngameva amade.
Ngezimpondo yayingazivikela esilwaneni esizingelayo futhi ilwe nombangi, kanti ikhanda eligqamayo lalisiza ekuxhumaneni nabanye bohlobo lwayo. Impi yobukhosi emhlambini ayikwazi ukwakhiwa kabusha ngamathambo, kodwa kunobufakazi bokuthi zaziphila ngamaqembu: e-Wyoming kwambiwa okungenani ama-Triceratops amahlanu afa ndawonye, futhi ukuhlolwa kwamakhemikhali emazinyweni awo kwabonisa ukuthi ayezulazula ezindaweni ezifanayo. Ukuthi lawo maqembu ayehleleke kanjani, akwaziwa.
Izihlobo ezinezimpondo
Ama-ceratopsian, iqembu le-Triceratops, ayengezona njalo izilwane ezinkulukazi ezinezimpondo ezinde. I-Protoceratops yaseMongolia incane kakhulu, futhi ayinazo nhlobo izimpondo ezimbili ngaphezu kwamehlo. Ubuhlobo buseduze, kodwa uma uzibuka okokuqala azifani kangako.
I-Triceratops ivame ukuqhathaniswa ne-Torosaurus, enezimbobo ezinkulu esihlangwini sayo. Ngo-2010 kwaphakanyiswa ukuthi i-Torosaurus imane iyi-Triceratops endala kakhulu. Lo mbono awuzange umelane nokuhlolwa: ngo-2022 kwachazwa izinsalela zama-Torosaurus ayengakakhuli ngokugcwele, futhi isilwane esisakhula asinakuba “sesigugile”. Namuhla zibonwa njengezinhlobo ezahlukene. Kodwa umbuzo wawufanelekile, ngoba amathambo amadayinaso ayeshintsha kakhulu njengoba ekhula.
Imibuzo nezimpendulo
I-Triceratops yayizidingelani izimpondo?
Kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi zazisebenza izinto eziningana: ukuzivikela ezilwaneni ezizingelayo nokulwa nabanye bohlobo lwayo. Ukuthi yimuphi umsebenzi owawubaluleke kakhulu, akukaqinisekiswa.
Ingabe yaphila ngesikhathi esisodwa ne-Stegosaurus?
Cha. I-Stegosaurus yaphila ekupheleni kwe-Jurassic, i-Triceratops ekugcineni impela kwe-Cretaceous. Phakathi kwazo kunamashumi ezigidi zeminyaka.
Ingabe i-Triceratops ne-Torosaurus yisilwane esisodwa?
Ngokolwazi lwamanje, cha: yizinhlobo ezahlukene. Umbono wango-2010 wokuthi i-Torosaurus iyi-Triceratops esegugile awusekelwanga yizifundo ezalandela.
Ingabe yayingazivikela ku-Tyrannosaurus?
Yayingakwazi. I-Triceratops endala, nobukhulu bayo nezimpondo zayo, yayiyisisulu esiyingozi, kodwa akekho owayengabikezela kusengaphambili ukuthi umhlangano onjalo uzophela kanjani.
