A gigantic prehistoric “sea dragon” discovered in the Midlands, UK has been described as one of the greatest finds in the history of British palaeontology.
The ichthyosaur, which is about 180 million years old with a skeleton measuring about 10m in length and a skull weighing about a tonne, is the largest and most complete fossil of its kind ever found in the UK. Joe Davis of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust discovered it during the routine draining of a lagoon island at the Rutland Water reservoir in February last year.
The first ichthyosaurs, which are called sea dragons because they tend to have very large teeth and eyes, were discovered by the fossil hunter and palaeontologist Mary Anning in the early 19th century.
Photo: Reuters 照片:路透
Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist who has studied the species, said: “Despite the many ichthyosaur fossils found in Britain, it is remarkable to think that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK. It is a truly unprecedented discovery and one of the greatest finds in British palaeontological history.”
Ichthyosaurs, which were marine reptiles, first appeared about 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago. They varied in size from 1m to more than 25m in length and resembled dolphins in their general body shape.
The remains were dug out by a team of experts from around the UK in August and September last year.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons 照片:維基共享資源
Two incomplete and much smaller ichthyosaurs were found during the construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s, but the latest discovery is the first complete skeleton.
Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey, who has been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire for more than 20 years, said that even from the first glimpse of the partially exposed fossil it was clear that it was the largest ichthyosaur discovered in the region.
“However, it was only after our exploratory dig that we realized that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail,” he said. “It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally, but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area.”
(The Guardian)
在英格蘭中部地區發現的巨大史前魚龍,又名「海龍」,被形容是英國古生物學史上最偉大的發現之一。
這隻一億八千萬年前的魚龍,骨骼約有十公尺長,頭骨重約一公噸,是在英國所發現同類化石中最大、最完整的。二○二一年二月,拉特蘭水庫的潟湖島進行例行排水作業時,萊斯特郡與拉特蘭野生動物信託基金的喬‧戴維斯發現了它。
魚龍也被稱為海龍,因其常有非常大的牙齒及眼睛,是在十九世紀初由化石採集者、古生物學家瑪麗‧安寧首次發現。
研究該物種的古生物學家迪恩‧洛馬克斯說:「雖然在英國所發現的魚龍化石為數不少,但一想到拉特蘭魚龍是有史以來在英國發現的最大骨骼,便覺非比尋常。這個發現的確是前所未有,也是英國古生物學史上最偉大的發現之一」。
魚龍為海生爬蟲類動物,最早約在兩億五千萬年前出現,而在九千萬年前滅絕。其大小從一公尺到二十五公尺以上不等,其外形整體而言類似海豚。
來自英國各地的專家團隊,在去年八月和九月將這些遺骸挖掘出來。
一九七○年代在建造拉特蘭湖時,發現過兩隻魚龍的化石,但不完整且小得多,這次的最新發現是第一副完整的魚龍骨骼。
英國南極調查局的馬克‧艾文斯研究拉特蘭及萊斯特郡的侏羅紀爬蟲類動物化石已有二十多年,他表示,即便是第一眼看到化石暴露出來的部分,都能明顯得知它是該地區所發現最大的魚龍。
「但在進行探勘挖掘後,我們才察覺到它是如此完整,從頂部到尾尖」,他說。「這對英國國內與國際而言,都是非常重要的發現,對拉特蘭及周邊地區的民眾也是意義重大」。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
Everyone has seen a piece of fruit turn brown after being cut. Have you ever wondered why that happens? It is a common phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction called enzymatic browning. The appearance, flavor and nutritional value of the fruit are all affected by this reaction. Some fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, avocados and peaches, are more prone to enzymatic browning than others. These fruits contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO for short. __1__ This causes a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately transforms the phenolic compounds into
There are several methods to prevent or slow down enzymatic browning in fruit. __3__ This lowers the pH level of the fruit tissue, causing the PPO to be far less active. Another method is to store the fruit in an airtight container or to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Doing this will reduce its exposure to oxygen. __4__ Although fruit that has undergone enzymatic browning may look less appealing, it is still safe to eat. However, by using one of these simple methods, you can enjoy fresh-looking fruit for a longer period. 有一些方法能避免或減緩水果的酶促褐變。其中一個有效的方式就是在切片水果的表面塗上酸性物質,像是檸檬汁或醋。這樣做能降低水果組織的酸鹼值,讓 PPO 更不為活躍。另一個方式是將水果存放在密封的容器內,或用保鮮膜將其緊緊包住。這樣做會減少水果與氧氣的接觸。快速蒸一下切片水果或將其短暫浸泡在滾水中也能使PPO失去活性,並終止 PPO 與空氣的作用。 雖然經歷酶促褐變的水果可能看起來較不吸引人,但仍然可以安全食用。然而,藉由採用這些簡單方法中的其中一個,你就能在更長的一段時間享用看起來新鮮的水果。 What Did You