Isibopho phakathi kwabantu nezinja sihlehlela emuva ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka. Lapho abantu beqala ukuthuthela eNyakatho Melika, bafika nezinja zabo. Lezi zinja ezifuywayo zazisetshenziselwa ukuzingela futhi zazinikeza ubungane obubalulekile kubanikazi bazo. Kodwa esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba izinja zifike lapha, kwakunezilwane ezidla inyama ezinjengezinja ezazizingela izindawo ezinotshani namahlathi aseMelika.
Uhlaka lwamathambo lwamathambo oluyivelakancane oluyivelakancane futhi olucishe luphelele lolunye lwalezi zinhlobo ezashabalala isikhathi eside lwatholwa izazi zePaleontologists ezivela eSan Diego Natural History Museum. Kutholwe kuma-slabs amakhulu e-sandstone netshe lodaka elatholwa ngo-2019 ngesikhathi somsebenzi wokwakha endaweni yase-Otay Ranch yaseSan Diego County.
Lezi zinsalela zivela eqenjini lezilwane ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-Archeocyons, okuhunyushwa ngokuthi “inja yasendulo.” I-fossil isukela ekupheleni kwenkathi ye-Oligocene futhi kukholakala ukuthi ineminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-24 kuya kwezingu-28 ubudala.
Ukutholwa kwabo kube yisibusiso kososayensi eSan Diego Museum of Natural History, okuhlanganisa nomphathi we-paleontology u-Tom Deméré, umcwaningi wangemva kokuthola ubudokotela u-Ashley Poust, kanye nomsizi we-curatorial u-Amanda Linn.
Ngenxa yokuthi izinsalela zamanje zemnyuziyamu aziphelele futhi zinenani elilinganiselwe, izinsalela ze-Archeocyons zizosiza ithimba le-paleo ekugcwaliseni izikhala kulokho elikwaziyo ngezidalwa zezinja zasendulo ezazihlala endaweni manje eyaziwa ngokuthi i-San Diego emashumini ezigidi zeminyaka edlule. .
Bahamba ngezinzwane njengezinja namuhla? Ingabe babehlala ezihlahleni noma bembe phansi? Zazidlani, futhi yiziphi izidalwa ezazizidla? Babuyini ubuhlobo babo nezinhlobo zenja ezingasekho ezafika ngaphambi kwabo? Ingabe lolu uhlobo olusha ngokuphelele olungakatholakali? Le fossil inikeza abacwaningi be-SDNHM izingcezu ezimbalwa ezengeziwe zephazili ye-evolution engaphelele.
Izinsalela ze-Archeocyons zitholwe ePacific Northwest naseGreat Plains, kodwa cishe neze eNingizimu California, lapho izinguzunga zeqhwa nama-plate tectonics ziye zahlakazeka, zabhubhisa, futhi zangcwaba izinsalela eziningi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ekujuleni komhlaba. Isizathu esiyinhloko sokuthi le nsalela ye-Archeocyons yatholwa futhi yathunyelwa emnyuziyamu umthetho waseCalifornia ogunyaza izazi ze-paleontologist ukuba zibe khona ezindaweni ezinkulu zokwakha ukuze kutholwe futhi kuvikelwe izinsalela ezingase zibe khona ukuze kwenziwe ucwaningo lwangomuso.
U-Pat Sena, umqaphi we-paleo we-San Diego Natural History Museum, wayehlola amatshe ensalela yephrojekthi ye-Otay cishe eminyakeni emithathu edlule lapho ebona okwakubonakala sengathi izingcezu ezincane zamathambo ezimhlophe ziphuma edwaleni elimbiwe. Udwebe umaka omnyama weSharpie ematsheni wawahambisa emnyuziyamu, lapho ucwaningo lwesayensi lwamiswa khona cishe iminyaka emibili ngenxa yalolu bhubhane.
Ngomhla zi-2 kuZibandlela wezi-2021, uLinn waqala ukusebenza emadwaleni amabili amakhulu, esebenzisa amathuluzi amancane okuqopha nawokusika namabhulashi ukuze asuse kancane kancane izingqimba zamatshe.
“Ngaso sonke isikhathi lapho ngembula ithambo elisha, isithombe sasicaca,” kusho uLinn. “Ngingathi, ‘Awu bheka, nansi ingxenye yalelithambo, nanku lapho umgogodla ufinyelela emilenzeni, nakhu lapho kukhona izimbambo ezisele.
Ngokuka-Ashley Poust lapho ithambo lehlathi namazinyo ensalela ephuma edwaleni, kwacaca ukuthi kwakuwuhlobo lwasendulo lwe-canid.
NgoMashi 2022, u-Poust wayengomunye wezazi ezintathu ze-paleontologist zamazwe ngamazwe ezamemezela ukutholakala kwazo kwesilwane esisha esinjengekati esinamazinyo e-saber, u-Dieeaelurus, kusukela enkathini ye-Eocene.
Kodwa lapho amakati asendulo ayenamazinyo aklebhula inyama kuphela, ama-omnivorous canids ayenamazinyo omabili okusika ngaphambili ukuze abulale futhi adle izilwane ezincelisayo ezincane kanye namazinyo ayisicaba anjenge-molar ngemuva emlonyeni wawo ayesetshenziselwa ukuchoboza izitshalo, imbewu namajikijolo. Le ngxube yamazinyo kanye nokuma kogebhezi lwayo kwasiza uDeméré ukuthi abone le nsalela njenge-Archeocyon.
Ifosili iphelele ngokuphelele ngaphandle kwengxenye yomsila wayo omude. Amanye amathambo ayo axutshwe, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokunyakaza komhlaba ngemva kokufa kwesilwane, kodwa ugebhezi lwaso, amazinyo, umgogodla, imilenze, amaqakala nezinzwane ziphelele, zinikeza ulwazi oluningi mayelana nezinguquko ze-Archeocyons.
Ubude bamathambo eqakala ensalela lapho ayexhumene khona nemisipha ye-Achilles buphakamisa ukuthi ama-Archeocyon ayejwayele ukujaha inyamazane yawo amabanga amade emathafeni avulekile. Kukholakala futhi ukuthi umsila wayo oqinile, onemisipha kungenzeka ukuthi usetshenziselwe ukulinganisa ngenkathi ugijima futhi wenza amajika abukhali. Kukhona nezinkomba ezinyaweni zayo ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi yayihlala noma igibele ezihlahleni.
Ngokomzimba, ama-Archeocyons ayelingana nempungushe yanamuhla empunga, enemilenze emide nekhanda elincane. Yayihamba ngezinzwani zayo futhi inezinzipho ezingahlehli. Umzimba wayo onjengempungushe wawuhluke kakhulu kunezinhlobo ezashabalala ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-Hesperocyon, ayemancane, amade, anemilenze emifushane futhi efana nezimvukuzane zanamuhla.
Ngenkathi izinsalela ze-Archeocyons zisacutshungulwa futhi azikho obala, imnyuziyamu inombukiso omkhulu esitezi sayo sokuqala esinezinsalela zamathambo kanye nezidalwa eziningi ezimelela odongeni ezazihlala esifundeni esisogwini saseSan Diego ngezikhathi zasendulo.
U-Ashley Poust uqhube wathi esinye sezidalwa ezisemdwebeni womdwebi uWilliam Stout, isidalwa esifana nempungushe esimi phezu kukanogwaja osanda kubulawa, sifana nendlela ama-Archeocyon ayengabukeka ngayo.
