Izinsalela zezinsalela zesilo sasolwandle sasendulo “esikhulu ngempela” ziye zatholwa ngengozi emnyuziyamu wamaNgisi, zembula enye yezilwane ezidla inyama ezinkulu kunazo zonke ezake zacupha ulwandle.
Amathambo amane angama-vertebrae avela ohlotsheni olungaziwa lwe-Jurassic predator ebizwa ngokuthi i-pliosaur futhi abonisa ukuthi izidalwa ezinamazinyo enkemba zingakhula cishe ngamamitha angu-50 ubude - ubukhulu obuphindwe kabili be-orca (Orcinus orca). Okutholakele okusha kubuyekeza kakhulu izilinganiso zangaphambilini zesikali sezilo zangaphambi komlando.
"Kuyajabulisa ukufakazela ukuthi bekukhona uhlobo lwe-pliosaur olukhulu ngempela olwandle lwaseLate Jurassic," kusho uDavid Martill, uprofesa we-palaeobiology eNyuvesi yasePortsmouth e-UK, esitatimendeni. “Ngeke kungimangaze uma ngolunye usuku singathola ubufakazi obucacile bokuthi lezi zilwane ezisabekayo zazikhudlwana nakakhulu.”
UMartill wazithela phezu kwamathambo ngesikhathi ebheka emakhabetheni ezinto ezimbiwa phansi e-Abingdon County Hall Museum e-UK Ngemva kokuhlangana nomgogodla omkhulu, waziswa umqaphi womnyuziyamu ukuthi kunabanye abathathu ababegcinwe. Izinsalela, ezivela eKimmeridge Clay Formation, zatholwa ekuqaleni ngesikhathi kumbiwa eWarren Farm e-Oxfordshire. Zavunjululwa emalini egcinwe cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-152 edlule ngesikhathi seJurassic sengasekho.
Ngokuskena izinsalela nge-laser, uMartill nozakwabo balinganisela ukuthi ingeyesilwane esisabekayo sasolwandle esisuka cishe ngamafidi angu-32 kuya ku-47 ubude (9.8 kuya ku-14.4 m) ubude, okusenza sibe i-pliosaur enkulu kunazo zonke ezake zatholwa. Ngaphambi kwalokhu, elinye lama-pliosaur amakhulu kunawo wonke aziwayo kwakuyi-Kronosaurus ( Kronosaurus queenslandicus ), eyakhula yaba phakathi kwamamitha angu-33 kuya kwangu-36 (amamitha angu-10 kuya kwangu-11) ubude.
Ama-Pliosaur ayeyizilwane ezidla ezinye ezinkulu zasolwandle ngesikhathi seJurassic (eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-201 kuya kwezingu-145 edlule). Bathungatha ulwandle besebenzisa amaphiko amane anamandla, anjenge-paddle. Ama-pliosaur cishe ayeqamekele izilwane ezizingelayo, egxuma ebamba inyamazane emanzini ajulile namnyama futhi ewabethela ngamazinyo abukhali, ngaphambi kokuwachoboza ngokuluma okunamandla kune-Tyrannosaurus rex's.
“Siyazi ukuthi la ma-pliosaur ayeyizilwane ezesabekayo ezibhukuda olwandle ezazihlanganisa i-Oxfordshire eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-145-152 edlule,” kusho uMartill. “Zaziphezulu ohlwini lokudla kwasolwandle futhi cishe zazidla ama-ichthyosaur, ama-plesiosaur anentamo emide futhi mhlawumbe nezingwenya zasolwandle ezincane ngisho nangokwengeziwe, ngokumane zizilume phakathi nokukhipha izingcezwana kuzo.”
Ucwaningo lwashicilelwa okokuqala kujenali Izinqubo ze-Geologists' Association. Meyi 10, 2023.
