I-loys' ape, noma i-Ameranthropoides loysi (engekho emthethweni), yayiyisidalwa esiyinqaba esifana nenkawu eyadutshulwa yabulawa isazi sokuma komhlaba saseSwitzerland uFrançois de Loys ngo-1917 emngceleni ophakathi kweVenezuela neColombia. Lesi sidalwa sasifana ne-hominid, singenamsila njengenkawu, sinamazinyo angu-32, futhi sasima phakathi kwamamitha angu-1.60 no-1.65 ubude.
U-François de Loys wayehola uhambo lokuhlola uwoyela eduze kwaseTarra naseMaracaibo Rivers lapho izidalwa ezimbili zisondela eqenjini lazo. ULoys udubule izidalwa ezama ukuzivikela. Owesilisa wabalekela ehlathini, owesifazane wabulawa yimoto. Isidalwa sathwetshulwa, futhi u-de Loys wagcina izithombe.
Lapho uFrançois de Loys ebuyela eSwitzerland, akazange atshele muntu ngalesi sidalwa. Kodwa-ke, ngo-1929, isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo sase-Swiss French George Montadon uthole isithombe ngenkathi efuna ulwazi kumanothi kaLoys ngezizwe zomdabu eNingizimu Melika futhi waqinisekisa u-Loys ukuthi asishicilele ephephandabeni lesiNgisi.
Amaphepha amaningana aphathelene nalesi sidalwa esiyinqaba anyatheliswa kamuva eFrance, futhi uGeorge Montadon wahlongoza igama laso lesayensi e-French Academy of Sciences.
Nokho, Incazelo yesayensi ye-Montandon yezinhlobo njenge I-Ameranthropoides loysi (inkawu yaseMelika efana nomuntu kade Loys) yahlangatshezwana nokugxekwa okunzima. Ngokusho kwesazi semvelo saseBrithani Sir Arthur Keith, isithombe sibonisa kuphela uhlobo lwenkawu yesicabucabu, ateles belzebuth, edabuka endaweni ehloliwe, nomsila wayo unqunywe ngamabomu noma ufihlwe esithombeni.
Izinkawu zesicabucabu zivamile eNingizimu Melika, zime cishe ngo-110cm (3.5 amafidi) ubude uma ziqondile. U-De Loys, ngakolunye uhlangothi, wayelinganise inkawu yakhe ngo-157cm (5 amafidi) - inkulu kakhulu kunezinhlobo zonke ezaziwayo.
UMonntandon wayethathekile yile nkawu. Waphakamisa igama I-Ameranthropoides loysi ezihlokweni ezintathu ezihlukene zamajenali ezesayensi. Kodwa-ke, abacwaningi abajwayelekile babenokungabaza kuzo zonke izinhlangothi kuleli cala.
Izazi-mlando uPierre Centlivres kanye no-Isabelle Girod bashicilela isihloko ngo-1998 bethi yonke indaba yokuhlangana okungajwayelekile kwakuyinkohliso eyenziwa isazi se-anthropologist uMontandon ngenxa yombono wakhe wokucwasa ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo.
Wayengubani lo mfana ka-de Loys, futhi ibuphi ubufakazi ayenabo bokuthi imfene yayingeyona nje inkawu yesicabucabu? Ingabe wayeqinisekile ukuthi isithombe sathathwa eNingizimu Melika?
Lokho kungenye yezimfihlakalo. Ngaphandle kombuzo wokuthi hlobo luni lwenkawu ka-de Loys, uma kuyinkawu, ingabe iyinkawu yaseNingizimu Melika? Azikho izinkawu zomdabu emazweni aseMelika, izinkawu kuphela. I-Afrika iyikhaya lezimfene, ama-gorilla, nama-bonobos, kuyilapho i-Asia iyikhaya lama-orangutan, amagibhoni, nama-maimas. Uma ngempela u-de Loys ethola inkawu eyayingaziwa ngaphambili eNingizimu Melika, kungashintsha ngokuyisisekelo ukuqonda kwethu ngokuziphendukela kwenkawu.
