侏羅紀搏擊俱樂部 第94期:最孤獨的掠食者

In 2007, paleontologists of Manchester University made a breakthrough discovery.

在2007年，曼徹斯特大學的古生物學家們?nèi)〉昧艘豁椡黄菩缘陌l(fā)現(xiàn)。

By studying the leg bones, musculature and mechanics behind them, they were able to put Allosaurus's top speed at 21 mile per hour, fast for a large predator.

通過研究異特龍的腿骨，及其后的肌肉系統(tǒng)和機械原理，它們能使異特龍的最快時速達到21英里每小時，對于大型掠食者來說很快了。

Allosaurus's build for high speed locomotion.

異特龍身體構(gòu)造適合高速移動。

The animal could propel himself along fairly efficiently, very good lever system for moving himself, powerful leg muscles pulling back to power him along.

這個動物能用相當有效地，非常好的杠桿系統(tǒng)驅(qū)動自己來使自己移動，強勁的腿部肌肉收縮來使他快速前進。

Fast, powerful with deadly adaptations.

快速、有力還有致命的適應(yīng)性的改變。

Allosaurus became the ultimate predator of the Jurassic period.

異特龍成為了侏羅紀時期的終極掠食者。

So was this the dinosaur responsible for the gash marks on the bones found at the Colorado site?

那么在科羅拉多石場找到的骨頭上的溝痕元兇是不是就是這種恐龍呢?

When you look at a lot of bones and Jurassic quarries of this age, you really see some amazing gouge and bite marks, and some of these gouge marks on the bones get, you know, close to an inch wide and almost as deep.

當你觀察大量的骨頭和這一時期的侏羅紀采石場時你會發(fā)現(xiàn)一些奇特的鑿痕和咬痕，而且這些骨頭上的一些鑿痕，可達一英寸寬而且差不多同樣深。

And these were all caused by Allosaurus who were no doubt eating these carcasses.

這些都是異特龍的杰作，毫無疑問，它在吃這些尸體。

Just really amazing to kind of imagine the power and the size of the animal that could leave these gouges on these large bones.

光想象這動物得有多大的力氣和個頭才能在這么大的骨頭上留下這些痕跡就很神奇。

The bite marks on the bones found at the Colorado quarry were the same size and shape as teeth of Allosaurus.

在科羅拉多石場發(fā)現(xiàn)的骨頭上的咬痕大小和形狀跟異特龍的相符。

And the deep gashes in them were similar to the shape of claws of this dinosaur as well.

它們里面那些深深的溝痕也跟這種恐龍的爪子形狀相似。

And since the skeleton of an Allosaurus was found in the quarry, there was little doubt that this dinosaur was responsible for those bone injuries.

既然石場里也發(fā)現(xiàn)了一具異特龍骨架，這個恐龍引起了那些骨傷已經(jīng)沒什么好懷疑的了。

It was a vital piece of the puzzle.

它是拼圖的極其重要一塊。

This was an Allosaurus killing ground.

這里曾是異特龍的殺戮場。

But if so, why had at least one Ceratosaurus encroached in its territory.

但是要是如此，為什么起碼有一只角鼻龍侵犯了它的領(lǐng)地呢?

The experts came up with a high hypothetical scenario to explain what could have happened here.

專家們?yōu)榱私忉屵@里發(fā)生了什么構(gòu)建了一個高度假想的場景。

We have a number of fossil sites that prove that Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus share the same environment.

我們有很多化石場能證明異特龍和角鼻龍在同一環(huán)境下生活。

The most famous is the Cleveland Quarry in Utah where the skeleton of a Ceratosaurus was found mixed among those of Allosaurus.

最有名的是猶他州克利夫蘭石場，在那些異特龍的骨架里找到了一具角鼻龍的骨架。

So I have no doubt that these two predators came in contact with each other and competed for the same resources.

所以我確信這兩種掠食者相互接觸且為了同樣的資源而競爭。