Ukutholakala kwezinsalela zamathambo akuyeki ukusimangaza, futhi ososayensi baye bathola okunye futhi okumangalisayo. Abacwaningi baye baveza ubuso bezilwane ezihlala emanzini ngaphambi komlando obizwa ngokuthi 'i-tadpole killer' eyaphila eminyakeni engaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-300 edlule, kudala ngaphambi kwama-dinosaurs. Njengoba ubude bawo bufinyelela ku-10, lesi silwane sasiyisilwane esiphezulu endaweni yaso, sisebenzisa imihlathi yaso enamandla ukuze sidle izilwane ezincane nezinambuzane. Ukutholwa kwalesi sidalwa esesabekayo kunikeza ukukhanya okusha ngomlando wempilo yasemhlabeni, futhi kuvula iminyango yocwaningo olusha nokuqonda okwedlule kweplanethi yethu.
Ngokuhlanganisa izingcezu zogebhezi lwekhanda lasendulo, ososayensi baye bakha kabusha ubuso obushaqisayo besilwane esineminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-330 esifana nengwenya, esingagcini nje ngokuvezela ukuthi sasibukeka kanjani kodwa nokuthi sasiphila kanjani.
Ososayensi bazi ngezinhlobo ezishabalala, I-Crassigyrinus scoticus, iminyaka eyishumi. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi zonke izinsalela ezaziwayo ze-primordial carnivore zichotshozwe kanzima, kube nzima ukuthola okwengeziwe ngayo. Manje, inqubekelaphambili ekuskeneni kwe-computed tomography (CT) kanye nokubonwa kwe-3D kuvumele abacwaningi ukuthi bahlukanise izingcezwana bazihlanganise ndawonye okokuqala ngqa, beveza imininingwane eyengeziwe ngesilo sasendulo.
Ucwaningo lwangaphambilini lukhombisile lokho I-Crassigyrinus scoticus kwakuyi-tetrapod, isilwane esinemilenze emine esihlobene nezidalwa zokuqala ukushintsha ukusuka emanzini kuya ezweni. Ama-tetrapods aqala ukuvela eMhlabeni eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-400 edlule, lapho ama-tetrapods okuqala eqala ukuvela ezinhlanzini eziphethwe yi-lobe.
Ngokungafani nezihlobo zayo, nokho, izifundo ezedlule zithole I-Crassigyrinus scoticus kwakuyisilwane sasemanzini. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi okhokho bawo babuya emhlabathini emanzini, noma ngenxa yokuthi abazange bafike lapho kwasekuqaleni. Esikhundleni salokho, yayihlala emaxhaphozini amalahle - ezindaweni ezingamaxhaphozi okwathi ezigidini zeminyaka yayizophenduka izitolo zamalahle - endaweni manje ebizwa ngokuthi iScotland kanye nezingxenye zaseNyakatho Melika.
Ucwaningo olusha, olwenziwa ososayensi e-University College London, lubonisa ukuthi lesi silwane sasinamazinyo amakhulu nemihlathi enamandla. Nakuba igama layo lisho ukuthi “tadpole ewugqinsi,” ucwaningo lubonisa I-Crassigyrinus scoticus yayinomzimba oyisicaba kanye nezitho ezifushane kakhulu, ezifana nengwenya noma ingwenya.
"Empilweni, uCrassigyrinus wayezoba ngamamitha amabili kuya kwamathathu ubude (6.5 kuya ku-9.8 amafidi) ubude, obekukhulu impela ngaleso sikhathi," kusho umlobi oholayo wocwaningo uLaura Porro, umfundisi wesayensi yamaseli kanye nesayensi yentuthuko e-University College London, isitatimende. “Mhlawumbe yayiyoziphatha ngendlela efanayo nezingwenya zesimanje, icasha ngaphansi kwamanzi futhi isebenzisa ukuluma kwayo okunamandla ukuze ibambe inyamazane.”
I-Crassigyrinus scoticus yabuye yajwayela ukuzingela inyamazane endaweni enamaxhaphozi. Ukwakhiwa kabusha kobuso obusha kubonisa ukuthi inamehlo amakhulu okubona emanzini anodaka, kanye nemigqa yasemaceleni, isimiso sezinzwa esivumela izilwane ukuba zithole ukundindizela emanzini.
Nakuba kuningi okwaziwayo ngakho I-Crassigyrinus scoticus, ososayensi basamangazwe igebe eliseduze nekhala lesilwane. NgokukaPorro, igebe lingase libonise ukuthi i-scoticus yayinezinye izinzwa zokuyisiza ekuzingeleni. Kungenzeka ukuthi yayinento ebizwa ngokuthi yi-rostral organ eyasiza isidalwa ukuthi sithole amasimu kagesi, kusho u-Porro. Kungenjalo, i-scoticus kungenzeka ukuthi yayinesitho sika-Jacobson, esitholakala ezilwaneni ezinjengezinyoka futhi esiza ekutholeni amakhemikhali ahlukene.
Ezifundweni zangaphambili, uPorro uthe, ososayensi bakhe kabusha I-Crassigyrinus scoticus enogebhezi lwekhanda olude kakhulu, olufana nolwembovane iMoray. “Kodwa-ke, lapho ngizama ukulingisa leso simo nge-digital surface evela kuma-CT scans, akuzange kusebenze,” kuchaza u-Porro. Awekho amathuba okuthi isilwane esinolwanga olubanzi kangaka nophahla logebhezi oluncane kangaka sasingaba nekhanda elinjalo.
Ucwaningo olusha luveza ukuthi lesi silwane besizoba nogebhezi lwekhanda olufana nolwengwenya yesimanje. Ukuze lakhe kabusha ukuthi isilwane sasibukeka kanjani, ithimba lasebenzisa izithwebuli ze-CT ezivela ezicini ezine ezihlukene futhi lahlanganisa izinsalela eziphukile ukuze lembule ubuso baso.
"Lapho sesiwahlonze wonke amathambo, kwakufana nephazili ye-3D-jigsaw," kusho u-Porro. “Ngivame ukuqala ngezinsalela ze-braincase, ngoba lokho kuzoba umnyombo wogebhezi, bese ngihlanganisa ulwanga ngakulo.”
Ngokwakhiwa kabusha okusha, abacwaningi bazama uchungechunge lwezilinganiso ze-biomechanical ukubona ukuthi bekwazi ukwenzani.
Ucwaningo lwashicilelwa ekuqaleni ku Ijenali ye-Vertebrate Paleontology. Meyi 02, 2023.
