侏羅紀(jì)搏擊俱樂部 第9期:瑪君龍與鳥類的關(guān)系

One maybe heavier than the other, for example, theother maybe more lightly built or gracile,

比如說一種比另外一種重，而另一種體態(tài)更小或更纖細(xì)，

or maybe that they have a difference in crest on topof the head,

或者可能在頭上有不同的冠飾，

or the bump on the top of the head in the case ofMajungasaurus.

或是像瑪君龍那樣頭上有隆起。

Unfortunately, for Majungasaurus and most theropoddinosaurs, we don't have a lot of specimens to workwith.

很遺憾的是對于瑪君龍和多數(shù)獸腳類恐龍來說我們都沒有很多標(biāo)本。

But over the past two decades, numerous fossil discoveries, including feathered dinosaurs,

但是過去20年來包括帶羽毛的恐龍在內(nèi)的眾多恐龍化石的出土

have proven a relationship between birds and predatory dinosaurs.

已經(jīng)證明鳥類和掠食類恐龍之間的親緣關(guān)系。

From this fossil evidence, paleontologists believe that, like the male birds,

通過這些化石證據(jù)，古生物學(xué)家們相信雄性瑪君龍會像雄鳥

the male Majungasaurus would've been more brightly colored and adorned than the female.

一樣比雌鳥顏色更加鮮艷，也有更多裝飾。

In order to understand things like color and behavior of prehistoric life, we have to look tomodern life to give us those clues.

為了能了解史前生命的顏色和行為，我們得在現(xiàn)代生物中尋找線索。

Well, Majungasaurus and birds are related.

瑪君龍和鳥類有親緣關(guān)系。

We know that, the evidence is very clear.

我們知道這一點，證據(jù)很清晰。

And birds, the males have a much brighter color pattern.

鳥類中的雄性顏色要鮮艷得多。

Male birds also have strange ornamentation on their skull.

雄鳥頭上也有奇異的裝飾。

Look at a guinea fowl and look at a turkey, you'll find that the females' skulls are relativelyplain

看看珍珠雞和火雞，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)雌性的頭上相對比較平淡，

and the males' skulls are very bright and a lot of these flashy appendages that make themattractive.

雄性的頭部就很鮮艷，還有很多華麗的附屬物讓它們更有吸引力。

One thing we can sort of suggest is that animals that clearly have visual display organs, thingon their body, is that they probably use them.

我們大概能夠推斷這種動物有明顯的視覺展示器官，是它們身體的一部分，而且很可能會用到它們。

It's very reasonable to suggest that these different structures that we see on the skull ofMajungasaurus

我們可以合理地推斷出我們在瑪君龍甚至其它掠食性恐龍的頭上

or even other kinds of predatory dinosaurs are in fact the kinds of features that would be usedin courtship displays among these different animals.

看到的這些不同的結(jié)構(gòu)其實是這些不同動物在進(jìn)行求偶展示時表現(xiàn)的特征。

Along with skin color, ornamentation of their skulls and their body sizes, there was anotherclear different between the sexes.

除了皮膚顏色頭部裝飾和體型大小之外，兩性之間還有一個明顯區(qū)別。

The female was much more aggressive when defending her young cub.

雌性在保護(hù)幼崽時攻擊性要強(qiáng)得多。

It's a vital piece of information.

這是一條極為重要的信息。