Xa sithetha ngesilwanyana esikhulu kunazo zonke esakha sakhona emhlabeni, wonke umntu uyazi ukuba yi-blue whale, kodwa kuthekani ngesilwanyana esikhulu esibhabhayo? Khawucinge ngesidalwa esimangalisayo nesoyikekayo esizulazula kwidama malunga neminyaka eyi-70 yezigidi eyadlulayo, iPterosauria ephantse ibe ziimitha ezi-4 ubude eyaziwa ngokuba yiQuetzalcatlus, eyilungu losapho lwe-Azhdarchidae. Amaphiko ayo anokufikelela kwiimitha ezili-12 ubude, kwaye inomlomo oneemitha ezintathu ubude. Ubunzima bayo buziimitha ezisisiqingatha. Ewe, iQuetzalcatlus sesona silwanyana sikhulu esibhabhayo esaziwayo emhlabeni.
Igama lohlobo lweIQuetzalcatluslivela kuQuetzalcoatl, uThixo weNyoka eneentsiba kwimpucuko yama-Aztec.
IQuetzalcatlus yayinamandla kakhulu ngelo xesha. Ngokusisiseko, iTyrannosaurus Rex encinci yayingenangxaki konke konke xa idibana neQuetzalcatlus. Inemetabolism ekhawulezayo kwaye kufuneka itye rhoqo. Ngenxa yokuba umzimba wayo ulungelelene, idinga iproteni eninzi ukuze ibe namandla. ITyrannosaurus rex encinci enobunzima obungaphantsi kweekhilogram ezingama-300 ingathathwa njengesidlo sayo. Le Pterosauria yayinamaphiko amakhulu, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ifaneleke ukutyibiliza umgama omde.
Ifossil yokuqala yeQuetzalcatlus yafunyanwa kwiBig Bend National Park eTexas ngo-1971 nguDouglas A. Lawson. Le sampuli yayiquka iphiko elingaphelelanga (eliquka umphambili onomunwe wesine owoluliweyo), apho amaphiko acingelwa ukuba adlula khona iimitha ezili-10. I-Pterosauria yayizizilwanyana zokuqala ukuvelisa amandla okubhabha emva kwezinambuzane. IQuetzalcatlus yayine-sternum enkulu, apho izihlunu zokubhabha zazinamathele khona, zinkulu kakhulu kunezihlunu zeentaka namalulwane. Ngoko ke akukho mathandabuzo ukuba “ziinqwelo-moya” ezilungileyo kakhulu.
Umda ophezulu wamaphiko eQuetzalcatlus usaxoxwa ngawo, kwaye uvuse ingxoxo malunga nomda ophezulu wesakhiwo sokubhabha kwezilwanyana.
Kukho izimvo ezininzi ezahlukeneyo ngendlela yokuphila yeQuetzalcatlus. Ngenxa yethambo layo elide lomqolo kunye nemihlathi emide engenamazinyo, kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayizingela iintlanzi ngendlela efana neheron, inyama efileyo njenge-bald stork, okanye i-scissor-billed gull yanamhlanje.
Kucingelwa ukuba iQuetzalcatlus isuka ngamandla ayo, kodwa xa sele isemoyeni inokuchitha ixesha elininzi ityibiliza.
IQuetzalcatlus yayiphila kwixesha lokugqibela leCretaceous, malunga neminyaka eyi-70 yezigidi eyadlulayo ukuya kwiminyaka eyi-65.5 yezigidi eyadlulayo. Zaphela kunye needinosaur kwisiganeko sokuphela kweCretaceous-Tertiary.
IWebhusayithi esemthethweni ye-Kawah Dinosaur:www.kawahdinosaur.com
Ixesha lokuthumela: Juni-22-2022