Palaeontologists in Spain have discovered the remains of a strange dinosaur with a hump that they believe is the forerunner of flesh-eating giants which once ruled the planet.
The fossil was uncovered in the Las Hoyas formation in central Spain’s Cuenca province, a treasure trove of finds that date to the Lower Cretaceous period of between 120 and 150 million years ago.
The nearly-complete skeleton is exquisite, and the dinosaur is “bizarre,” Fernando Escaso of the Autonomous University of Madrid, told AFP by phone.
“This dinosaur is very remarkable,” Ecaso said.
“It is a unique specimen. It is the most complete dinosaur ever found in the Iberian peninsula and is a new species of theropod,” a carnivore that moved on two rear limbs.
Measuring 6m long from snout to tail, the dinosaur is the earliest member ever found of a branch of Carcharodontosauria, the largest predatory dinosaurs that ever lived and which until now were thought to be confined to southern continents.
The new find has jaws and small, clawed forelimbs that bear a resemblance to the Tyrannosaurus rex which belongs to a different dinosaur family.
But all similarities end with the spine, which is astonishingly curved and has a small hump, Ecaso said.
“It is the first time we have ever seen a structure like this on the spine of a dinosaur, although it is common on some animals today, such as cows,” Escaso said.
“At the moment, the function of this structure is unclear. We believe that the animal was not diseased because the spine shows no sign of being cracked or broken, we think it is a feature of this species. One hypothesis is that it was a reservoir of fat.”(afp)
西班牙的古生物學家最近發現一具奇怪的恐龍遺骸,該遺骸上有個駝峰。科學家們相信這就是曾經主宰地球,大型肉食性恐龍的始祖。
這具化石於西班牙中部,昆卡省的拉斯奧亞斯山脈上被發現。出土的這些寶藏源自於早白堊紀,大約一億兩千萬年到一億五千萬年之間。
馬德里自治大學的費南多•艾斯卡索接受法新社電話採訪時表示,這一具幾乎完整的骨骼相當精緻,而這頭恐龍很「奇怪」。
艾斯卡索說,「這頭恐龍非常可觀。」
「這是個獨特的樣本。這是在伊比利半島上所發現最完整的恐龍骨骼,是個獸腳類的新品種。」獸腳類是種以一雙後腿站立的肉食性動物。
從口鼻部到尾巴,這頭恐龍身長達六公尺。這是鯊齒龍家族中未曾發現過的早期種類。鯊齒龍是獵食性恐龍中,所存在過最大的一種。直到目前,人們相信這種恐龍只在南半球才找得到。
這項新發現有著齒顎,以及又小又捲曲的前爪,模樣看起來類似暴龍。暴龍屬於另一個恐龍類別。
艾斯卡索說,但到了脊椎骨就找不到相似之處了。脊椎骨的彎度令人驚奇,並且有個小駝峰。
艾斯卡索表示,「這是我們首次在恐龍的脊椎骨看到這種結構,即便這種現象目前在一些動物身上很常見,像牛就是。」
「這個駝峰的功能目前還不清楚。我們相信這隻恐龍並沒有生病,因為脊椎骨並沒有破裂或斷掉。我們認為這就是這品種的特徵。有種假設說這是儲存脂肪用的。」(法新社�翻譯:吳岱璟)
A: I want to go to Neihu to see the cherry blossoms. B: Do you want to go by YouBike? A: Well, how much does it cost? B: The Taipei City Government just announced that riders can use the bicycles for free for the first 30 minutes! A: Great! Riding bikes is also more eco-friendly than driving. A: 我想去內湖賞櫻花耶。 B: 那要不要騎YouBike微笑單車去? A: 車費怎麼算? B: 台北市政府最近宣布︰前30分鐘免費! A: 太棒了,而且也比開車更環保。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
One of us is a murderer. The terrifying thought fills your head. There’s a corpse in the next room, and one of your fellow diners put it there. As the evening progresses, you learn disturbing secrets about everyone, and you’re forced to confess to a few yourself. You all have motives for the crime, but who committed it? Fortunately, it’s just a game. Murder mystery games are multiplayer role-playing games designed to be played over the course of an evening. The concept likely originated with “wink murder,” an amusing pastime that became popular in the early 1900s. In this game, a “murderer” kills
A: How does Taipei’s YouBike service charge after the free ride for the first 30 minutes? B: It’s NT$10 every 30 minutes within four hours. A: What a bargain. No wonder Taipei is listed by Britain’s “Time Out” magazine as one of the best 50 cities in the world. B: But I spotted a few English mistakes on YouBike’s Web site. A: I guess that aspect of it still has room for improvement. A: 台北市YouBike前30分鐘免費,之後怎麼算? B: 4小時內每30分鐘10元。 A: 真劃算,難怪台北市會入選英國《Time Out》雜誌全球最佳的50座城市。 B: 不過我在YouBike的網站上看到了好幾個英文錯誤。 A: 看來這個部分還有改善的空間。(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/ 台北時報張聖恩)
Mullet roe is a highly-priced delicacy typically served during special occasions like wedding banquets or Chinese New Year’s dinners, where families come together in celebration. The mullet roe can be prepared in various ways. It is usually pan-fried but can also be roasted or torched. To cook a pan-fried mullet roe, soak it in liquor or wine and peel off its membrane. Then, it is browned over a low fire and turned several times. Finally, the fried mullet roe is cut diagonally and is ready to be served. This dish is usually served with garlic scapes and daikon slices, but