侏羅紀搏擊俱樂部 第8期:性別二態(tài)性

In addition to the CAT scans and the fossil remains,paleontologists looked to modern animal behavior forclues.

除了CT掃描和化石殘骸以外，古生物學家們還在現代動物行為中尋找線索。

The one thing that doesn't change in the animalkingdom is behavior.

動物王國的一個不變之處就是行為。

All the animals, including man, have the same basicbehavioral traits as our ancestors.

包括人類在內的所有動物都有和祖先一樣的基本行為。

Knowing this, paleontologists are able to look at modern life as a way to understand thebehavior of prehistoric life.

正因如此，古生物學家們能夠把觀察現代生物作為了解史前生命行為的一種方式。

There's little doubt that a male Majungasaurus was a formidable creature.

雄性瑪君龍是一種可怕的動物這一點基本沒有爭議。

But something that could dramatically change the dynamic of the fight would be gender.

不過有一件可能會徹底改變搏斗的動態(tài)的事就是性別。

While studying the fossil site, investigators came to wonder if one of the dinosaurs in this battlehad been female.

在研究化石場的時候調查者們開始懷疑這場恐龍大戰(zhàn)中的一頭是雌性。

By studying the fossilized remains of several dinosaurs and looking to modern animals for clues,paleontologist attempted to find answers.

古生物學家們通過研究幾頭恐龍的化石殘骸并且參考現代動物行為來試圖解開謎團。

The first step was to find out how female dinosaurs might have looked compared to males.

第一步就是要確認雌性與雄性的外觀有什么區(qū)別。

Majungasaurus, like most theropods, most meat eating dinosaurs,

跟多數獸腳類恐龍和食肉恐龍一樣，

there was probably a sexual size difference between the males and the females.

瑪君龍的雄性和雌性之間很可能體形大小有差異。

In Tyrannosaurus-Rex we know that the biggest and battiest ones were females.

我們知道最大最壯的霸王龍是雌性。

But we don't know yet because we don't have enough specimens how Majungasaurus fit intothat scheme.

但因為樣本不充分，我們仍不知道瑪君龍這方面如何。

Although there may have been a difference in size, their basic skeletal design would haveremain the same.

雖然可能有形體大小差異它們的基本骨骼設計是一致的。

The female would've had the same short arms and legs, sharp teeth and power tail.

雌性應該有類似的前肢和腿鋒利的牙齒和有力的尾巴。

But their general appearance may have been quite different.

但是它們的外觀可能有很大區(qū)別。

When we look at lots of different animals today, people are good example, the males and thefemales look different.

我們現在觀察的很多不同動物人就是很好的例子雄性和雌性看起來都不一樣。

We call that sexual dimorphism.

我們稱之為性別二態(tài)性。

And a good question is this:

一個重要的問題就是：

"Was Majungasaurus sexually dimorphic, "did the males look different from the females?"

“瑪君龍有性別二態(tài)性嗎?“雄性跟雌性看起來不同嗎?”

Once we look at theropod dinosaurs, virtually any species where we have multiple specimens,

只要我們觀察獸腳類恐龍，對于有多個樣本的物種

we do see that they tends to be two morphs or two type once they get to adult stage.

都能看到在其成年階段會有呈兩種形態(tài)的趨勢。