侏罗纪搏击俱乐部 第55期:在它们身边要小心为妙

Camarasaurus also owed its success to a set of long,spoon-shaped teeth that, paleontologists came torealize, could defoliate entire trees.

圆顶龙成功的另一个原因是(牙齿露出5厘米，含牙根8厘米)它们长长的匙状牙齿古生物学家已经意识到这些牙能扯掉整棵树的叶子。

The teeth in Camarasaurus actually interlock.

圆顶龙的牙齿实际上是相互扣住的。

They kind of tongue and groove almost one intoeach other.

一颗凸起进入凹下的那颗这样上下相扣。

They would have almost functioned like a serrated beak or a single large cutting surface.

它们的功能就像是锯齿状的鸟喙或是单侧大型切割型面。

So they're probably stripping vegetation quite effectively.

所以它们吃光植物的效率可能很高。

The remains of three Camarasaurus found together in Wyoming in 1997 suggested that thesedinosaurs traveled in small herds.

1997年在怀俄明州一起发现的三具圆顶龙骨骸证明了这些恐龙小群活动。

But as the lakebed excavation continued, the mystery deepened.

不过随着对湖床挖掘的进行谜团愈加扑朔迷离。

Something intriguing became evident.

很明显有些事情很有意思。

Very few Camarasaurus bones were found.

这里没找到多少圆顶龙的骨头。

Why?

为什么呢?

The answer would be a vital clue.

其答案会是一条重要线索。

Really big animals, like Camarasaurus, would have been pretty reluctant to walk out to thelakebed.

像圆顶龙这样庞大的动物一般不愿意走到湖床上面。

Their sheer mass and weight makes getting stuck a real possibility,

其体型重量很容易让它们受困，

so unless it's an incredible drought and that was the only place to get water, they're probablygoing to keep their distance.

所以除非是干旱异常而且这里是唯一的饮水之地，它们对这种地方都会敬而远之。

That's why I think that so few remains of Camarasaurus were found at the Cleveland Lloyd site.

我觉得这就是为什么在克利夫兰劳埃德石场发现的圆顶龙的骨架这么少。

As plant eaters, they were not natural aggressors.

它们是植食动物天生攻击性不强。

When they encountered a predator, Camarasaurus most likely relied on their sheer mass toact as a deterrent.

当它们遇到掠食者，圆顶龙最可能就是把庞大身躯当成威慑物。

Any animal that weighs 15 to 20 tons is just going to be an absolute powerhouse to deal with.

重量达十五到二十吨的动物绝对力大无比，会很难对付。

Just stepping on potential predators would probably do them in.

仅仅踩上一脚就能干掉掠食者。

You'd want to be very careful around them.

在它们身边可要小心为妙。

A large African elephant often weighs in 5 to 6 ton range.

一头巨大的非洲象常常是五到六吨重。

These animals get up to 3,4 times that size easily.

这些动物很容易就能达到大象的三到四倍。

So we're already talking much stronger than an elephant.

所以它们要比大象有力得多。