VOA慢速英语2014 比霸王龙更大的恐龙

 

Spinosaurus, a Swimming Dinosaur¹ Bigger than T-Rex 比霸王龙更大的恐龙

Could a creature that lived 95 million years ago travel from what is now North Africa to Europe and even to North America? Yes, but it probably was not easy. 

It happened when scientists in all those areas studied fossilized remains² of an African dinosaur. And because they did, the fossils were identified as those of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.

Paleontologists learned to build the skeleton of Spinosaurus. That led to a life-size replica³ or copy of the ancient creature. Scientists say it grew bigger than a more famous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

The replica is currently “living” on display at the National Geographic⁴ Museum in Washington, D.C., not far from the White House.

New knowledge about Spinosaurus holds special importance for understanding prehistory. It demonstrates that the creature may have been the largest meat-eating dinosaur that ever lived. And it swam. The new research provides evidence that it could not only live on land, but hunt in water. Most meat-eating creatures that lived before Spinosaurus were land-based.                                                        

University of Chicago researchers Paul Sereno and Nizar Ibrahim used computer studies of fossils to create the life-size model of Spinosaurus.  Mr. Sereno said the dinosaur’s body structure made possible the move from land to waterways.

“From head to tail, it is showing signs of adaptation for a water-loving life. For the first time, we have solid bone evidence for this kind of a lifestyle among dinosaurs⁶.”    

Spinosaurus had a nostril⁷ on the back of its head. That made it possible for the creature to breathe when part of its head was under water. Its long neck and short, powerful back legs helped it swim. But on land, it probably did not walk standing⁵ up like other meat-eating dinosaurs.                                   

Its back was topped with spines⁸ shaped like sails. These bony structures were connected by skin and measured two meters tall. They stood partly out of the water as Spinosaurus swam after food targets including fish the size of an automobile⁹.

Mr. Sereno said at 15 meters, the dinosaur was about three meters longer than the biggest Tyrannosaurus Rex. Earlier, T-Rex had been thought to be the largest meat-eater.                                                          

Nizar Ibrahim led an international team of scientists in research on the Spinosaurus. Their report appeared in the journal Science. Mr. Ibrahim said the animal’s back legs were probably perfectly¹⁰ created for swimming. And its front legs held sharp claws. It could reach out and seize other swimming creatures with its jaws¹¹.

“It ate sharks. But it probably included all kinds of aquatic¹² animals in its prey¹³. And the size of these aquatic animals is probably one of the factors that drove the evolution of the giant-body size in Spinosaurus.”

Nizar Ibrahim first learned of the unidentified bones that might have belonged to Spinosaurus in 2008. At the time, he was doing research at the Kem Kem Beds area of Morocco. The site is a favorite of paleontologists because it contains dinosaur fossils buried many million years ago. 

One day, Mr. Ibrahim spoke¹⁴ to a Moroccan fossil hunter in a town that was a popular meeting place for hunters and dealers¹⁵. The man sold him a piece of finger bone and backbone¹⁶.                                                                          

Mr. Ibrahim thought the fossil just might be from a Spinosaurus. If that were true, it would shake the world of students of prehistory. The last known partial skeleton of a Spinosaurus was destroyed during World War Two. German paleontologist Ernst Stromer had found the fossils in Egypt about a century before. He had named the dinosaur. But bombs destroyed most of the fossils.                                                           

Nizar Ibrahim could not confirm the fossil’s identity on his own. Seeking help, he took his modern-day find to a university in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. But scientists there did not recognize it.                     

His next step took him to Dublin, Ireland, where he had been working on a paper. But he found that he needed to wait for additional material from the creature. So, he returned it to the university in Casablanca.

But good luck was on its way. After some months, he heard that the natural history museum in Milan, Italy might contain that needed additional material. Happily, scientists there had many similar fossils. And they had come from remains of that same animal in Morocco. Nizar Ibrahim led a dig to recover many more of its bones in the Kem Kem area.

Several years ago, Mr. Ibrahim joined Paul Sereno at the University of Chicago. There, the two researchers were able to study and assemble more than a ton of the dinosaur’s bones that were shipped to them.       

Today crowds are visiting the replica of Spinosaurus as it stands in Washington, DC. It mainly contains man-made materials, but some real bones are included. They will go back to the University of Chicago for more study early next year.                                                                 

And Mr. Sereno says that after a time, remains of the great creature will return to Morocco.  Spinosaurus will be back in the land where it once swam the prehistoric¹⁷ waters.  And now, many of its mysteries are solved.

1 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

4 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 nostril   

n.鼻孔

参考例句：

• The Indian princess wore a diamond in her right nostril.印弟安公主在右鼻孔中戴了一颗钻石。
• All South American monkeys have flat noses with widely spaced nostril.所有南美洲的猴子都有平鼻子和宽大的鼻孔。

8 spines   

n.脊柱( spine的名词复数 )；脊椎；（动植物的）刺；书脊

参考例句：

• Porcupines use their spines to protect themselves. 豪猪用身上的刺毛来自卫。
• The cactus has spines. 仙人掌有刺。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

12 aquatic   

adj.水生的，水栖的

参考例句：

• Aquatic sports include swimming and rowing.水上运动包括游泳和划船。
• We visited an aquatic city in Italy.我们在意大利访问过一个水上城市。

13 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

16 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

17 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。