A team of researchers in China recently found a new species of dinosaur, and it might be the oldest link between dinosaurs and modern birds. The paleontologists discovered the 125-million-year-old fossil in Lionaning, China. The ancient animal was three-feet long, covered in feathers, and sported a mouthful of teeth.
在中國番官，一組研究員最近發(fā)現(xiàn)新品種的恐龍，而且牠可能是現(xiàn)代鳥類與恐龍最古老的鏈接肴捉，古生物學家在中國遼寧發(fā)現(xiàn)1億2500萬年前的化石鬓长。這個古代生物長約三英尺，有羽毛覆蓋巍糯，而且具有一嘴牙啸驯。
The new species has been named Jianianhualong tengi. Scientists announced its discovery in a study published on May 2 in Nature Communications.
這個新品種被命名為Jianianhualong tengi∷盥停科學家在一篇于5月2號發(fā)表于《Nature Communications》(國際排名第3的混合型期刊)的研究宣告其發(fā)現(xiàn)罚斗。
Jianianhualong tengi is a type of troodontid, which is a family of bird-like dinosaurs related to the modern-day birds. Researchers are unsure if Jianianhualong tengi could fly. But the well-preserved fossilized remains indicate that it had feathers that were not symmetrical, or longer on one side than the other. This is a key element in the evolution of animal flight.
Jianianhualong tengi是一種傷齒龍科，該科下都是與現(xiàn)代鳥類類似的恐龍宅楞。研究人員不確定Jianianhualong tengi是否可以飛行针姿。但是保存完整的化石遺跡指出它具有不對稱的、或說其中一邊比較長的羽毛厌衙。這是動物演化出飛行的關(guān)鍵距淫。
"Asymmetrical feathers have been associated with flight capability, but are also found in species that do not fly, and their appearance was a major event in feather evolution," the authors write in the study.
「不對稱羽毛跟飛行能力是有關(guān)聯(lián)的，但是某些不能飛的品種也具有不對稱羽毛迅箩，而他們的外觀是羽毛演化上的重要事件溉愁。」該研究的作者寫道饲趋。
Paleontologists first discovered that dinosaurs sported feathers with the 1861 discovery of the Archaeopteryx, a different type of bird-like dinosaur.
古生物學家在1861年發(fā)現(xiàn)Archaeopteryx拐揭，其為另一種似鳥恐龍，時首次發(fā)現(xiàn)恐龍具有羽毛
But according to the new study, the Jianianhualong tengi “has the earliest known asymmetrical troodontid feathers,” suggesting that dinosaurs may have exhibited bird-like traits earlier than previously believed.
但是根據(jù)新研究奕塑，Jianianhualong tengi是最早具有不對稱傷齒龍羽毛的堂污，代表恐龍可能在原本所知的時間點前就具有類似鳥類的特征。
“It is widely accepted that feather asymmetry is important for the origin of bird flight,” Xu Xing, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who co-led this study, told National Geographic. “And now we can demonstrate that this feature has a wide distribution outside the bird family.”
「羽毛的不對稱對鳥類的飛行很重要是廣受認同的龄砰∶瞬」徐星讨衣，共同參與這次的研究的中國科學院古生物學家，告訴國家地理：「現(xiàn)在我們可以指出這個特征在鳥類以外也廣泛存在式镐》凑颍」
Scientists will now study Jianianhualong tengi to learn more about how it used its feathers and try to determine if it could fly or not. That investigation could have a major impact on how scientists think about feathered dinosaurs. Some believe that feathered dinosaurs that could not fly used their plumage to help them get around on the ground. Another potential use could have been to make them more attractive to potential mates.
科學家將開始研究Jianianhualong tengi 以了解更多有關(guān)它如何使用他的羽毛并試圖決定他是否能飛。這項調(diào)查對科學家對有羽毛的恐龍的想法造成具大的沖擊娘汞。有些人相信無法飛行的有羽恐龍用羽毛來協(xié)助他們在地上移動歹茶。另一個潛在的用途可能是羽毛是用以增加對配偶的吸引力。
- plumage /?plu?.m?d?/ n. 羽毛
-例句：Male peacocks have beautiful plumage. - 延伸：plum n. 梅子你弦；plumb v. 裝水管惊豺、探索；plumb adv. 恰好
Jianianhualong tengi and its asymmetrical feathers will help answer those questions and likely pose new ones. Its discovery is a major breakthrough, and it has researchers excited—especially the team that found it.
Jianianhualong tengi 和其不對稱的羽毛將幫助解答這些問題禽作，甚至能是出新的見解尸昧。它的發(fā)現(xiàn)是重大的突破，且使發(fā)現(xiàn)它的團隊的研究員十分興奮旷偿。
"We expected that somebody might find asymmetrical feathers in a troodontid someday because they have such similar skeletons to birds,” study leader Michael Pittman from the University of Hong Kong told Forbes. “But for it to be us was really wonderful."
「我們期許有天某人或許會發(fā)現(xiàn)傷齒龍科不對稱的羽毛烹俗，因為他們有著跟鳥類極為類似的骨骼±晖保」研究的領(lǐng)導衷蜓，來自香港大學的邁克皮特曼告訴富比士：「但這個某人是我們真的很棒〕竞龋」
FROM:TimeForKids
