《恐龙!》第82期 薄片龙、阿根廷龙、安氏中兽-军人的诱惑♥漫画

Elasmosaurus had an enormous snake-like neck and was a giant of the prehistoric seas.薄片龙是史前海洋里的一种庞然大物，长着巨大的、蛇一般的脖子

In the Mesozoic Era, the plesiosaurs were the largest ocean-going reptiles, and Elasmosaurus was the biggest plesiosaur of all. Elasmosaurus ruled the water in the Late Cretaceous Period, more than 66 million years ago.

在中生代，蛇颈龙类是最大型的海生爬行动物（萨斯特鱼龙科、沧龙科纷纷表示不服），薄片龙则是蛇颈龙类中体型最大的。6600多万年前它统治着晚白垩世的水域（海王龙、白垩刺甲鲨：？？）。

Going up向上

Most of the plesiosaurs had long necks, but Elasmosaurus held the record. This huge sea creature was nearly all neck. Land animals usually had seven or eight vertebrae(small bones) in their necks, Elasmosaurus had 71 little neck bones! The extra vertebrae made its neck so long it measured more than the tail and body together.

大部分的蛇颈龙类都长着长长的脖子，但薄片龙保持着这方面的记录。这种巨型海洋生物几乎全是脖子。陆生动物通常只有7或8节颈椎，而薄片龙却有71节！如此多的颈椎使其颈部长度比身体和尾巴加起来还长。（蛇颈龙类在中侏罗世和晚白垩世经历过两次分化，每次分化的结果都是一部分脖子变得越发得长，而另一部分的脖子则显著缩短，薄片龙便是第二次分化后往脖子更长方向演化的产物之一）

Round the twist转动

Elasmosaurus had so much neck it could have curled it round into a circle on either side of its body. The neck was as flexible as a snake, and the plesiosaur probably moved it about in a snake-like way.

薄片龙的脖子如此之长，以至于它可以在身体一侧把脖子绕成一个圈。它的脖子就像蛇一样灵活，而且蛇颈龙类的脖子可能也会以类似蛇的方式活动。（对蛇颈龙类颈部结构的分析早已表明，其脖子只能僵直地伸着，根本不可能像早期复原里那样把脖子弯成天鹅。另外薄片龙的命名者科普最初研究时错把它的头安置在尾部，其老对手马什指出了他的错误，令其感到羞辱，这也成为日后二人结怨乃至开展化石大战的一剂催化剂）

Deep down深潜

Elasmosaurus probably paddled along with its neck held out of the water. When it spotted its prey, the plesiosaur plunged its small head into the water to snatch the fish. It would have been difficult for a fish to escape its needle-sharp teeth. With its long, flexible neck, Elasmosaurus could have reached deep down into the water.

薄片龙游动时可能会将脖子伸出水面。发现猎物时它会将小脑袋伸回水里以捕食之。对鱼类来说，避开薄片龙那针一般锋利的牙齿是很困难的。薄片龙凭借灵活的长脖子可以够到较深的水域。（蛇颈龙类也不可能把脖子高高探出水面，因为那样的话水压会压扁其体腔，和蜥脚类不会生活在水里一个道理。长脖子加小脑袋的组合可能是用于对付鱼群，庞大的身躯吸引鱼的注意，此时长脖子末端的小头则能靠近鱼群，一次吃下几条大意的鱼）

Is it bird...is it a snake?是鸟... 是蛇？

There is a bird called a darter, which is nicknamed the 'snakebird'. Like Elasmosaurus, this bird swims along with its body just under the water when it is hunting. All you can see is its long neck and head, so it looks just like a snake. Elasmosaurus must have looked like an enormous snake when it was out hunting.

有一种叫蛇鹈的鸟，昵称叫蛇鸟，和薄片龙一样，捕食时它的身体没于水面下，露出来的部分只有长脖子和脑袋，因此看起来就像蛇一样。薄片龙捕食时肯定看起来也像条大蛇。

this engraving shows what people in 1881 imagined the Earth looked like in the time of the dinosaurs. You can see a creature just like Elasmosaurus in the centre.这件雕刻作品显示出1881年时人们对恐龙时代地球形象的认识，你能在画面中间看到一个和薄片龙非常相似的生物

Monster facts怪兽真相Name名称：Elasmosaurus, means 'plate reptile'，薄片龙，意为‘板状爬行动物’Group类别：reptile爬虫类（鳍龙总目蛇颈龙目薄片龙科）Size体型：up to 14m long，长达14米Food食物：fish，鱼类Lived生存年代及分布：about 80 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous Period in Asia and North America，约8000万年前的晚白垩世，亚洲和北美

Elasmosaurus swims along on the water's surface, alert for any movement in the watery depths. As soon as it sees its prey, the plesiosaur dives down using its long, flexible neck to reach out and grab the victim with its sharp teeth.薄片龙在海面游弋，留意着较深处的动静，一旦发现猎物它便会向下深潜，将它那灵活的长脖子伸过去，用锋利的牙齿捕获猎物

It's a fact ---- in at the end这是个事实——在最后

Elasmosaurus was the last of the plesiosaurs. It lived at the same time as the last of the dinosaurs. Like the dinosaurs, it died out at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

薄片龙是生存到最后的蛇颈龙类，它和最后的恐龙生活在同一时期。它和恐龙一样灭绝于白垩纪末。

Flip flap摆动鳍状肢

Elasmosaurus had very long front flippers and shorter back flippers. Early experts thought the plesiosaur must have used them like giant oars to row through the water. Scientists now believe Elasmosaurus moved more like today's sea turtle. They think it swam through the water in the same way that a bird flies through the air. The great creature could have flapped its flippers up and down with slow, steady strokes to move itself along.

薄片龙前面两个鳍状肢比后面两个更长。过去专家们认为蛇颈龙类是把鳍状肢当作巨大的桨用来划水，如今科学家们相信薄片龙的移动方式更像今天的海龟，其在水中穿梭的方式和鸟在空中飞越的方式相同。它会以缓慢而稳定的节奏上下摆动鳍状肢从而推动自己前进。（关于蛇颈龙类的运动方式，目前主要有海龟式和海狮式两种观点）

Around and about结实的躯干

A row of belly ribs helped to make the plesiosaur's short, barrel-like body stronger. Elasmosaurus needed a strong, sturdy body because of the strain it was put under by the beating movements of its massive flippers.

成排的腹肋有助于强化蛇颈龙类短，且呈桶状的躯干结构。薄片龙需要有一个强壮结实的身躯，以应对巨大的鳍状肢摆动动作带来的压力。

High and dry干燥的高处

The belly ribs gave Elasmosaurus extra protection when it left the water. Like today's sea turtle, the plesiosaur probably laid its eggs in a nest dug out of the sand. The cage-like arrangement of its rib bones would have protected its soft underside when the huge creature pushed itself clumsily up the beach with its flippers.

当薄片龙在岸上时，肋骨为其提供了额外的保护。和今天的海龟一样，蛇颈龙类可能会在沙滩上挖掘巢穴并在里面产卵。当这巨型生物在海滩上用鳍笨拙地推动自己前进时，肋骨构成的笼状结构能保护其柔软的下半部分。（虽然目前还没有确凿的化石证据，但蛇颈龙类很可能也是卵胎生的，至少薄片龙这样的庞然大物上岸是不可想象的）

This gigantic plant-eater is South America's largest known dinosaur.这种巨大的植食恐龙是南美洲已知体型最大的恐龙

In 1989, scientists were thrilled to discover a gigantic new dinosaur. Argentinosaurus must have been longer than a tennis court.

1989年，科学家们发现了一种全新的巨型恐龙，这让他们无比激动。阿根廷龙肯定比一个网球场还长。

Back to back背靠背

All that was found of Argentinosaurus were six enormous vertebrae and part of its pelvis. But this was enough to prove that the dinosaur belonged to a new genus. It had extra joints between the vertebrae, which looked different from any seen before. This mighty plant-eater needed them to make its back strong enough to support its great weight.

目前发现的阿根廷龙化石包括6块巨大的脊椎以及部分骨盆。不过这足以表明这是一个恐龙新种。其脊椎间有额外的关节，这是之前没发现过的。这种强大的植食恐龙需要这些结构来让自己的背部足够结实，好能支撑其庞大的体重。

Higher and higher越来越高

Like other sauropods, such as Saltasaurus, Argentinosaurus probably craned its long neck upwards to graze among the tree tops. It might have used its tail as a support if it leaned back onto its rear legs to reach even higher.

和其他蜥脚类比如萨尔塔龙一样，阿根廷龙可能会向上伸它那长脖子，到树梢觅食。它可能会用尾巴作支撑，以后肢挺立起来，这样甚至能够得更高。

Earth shaker震撼大地

Argentinosaurus was about as long as the huge plant-eater Diplodocus, but it weighed three times as much. The giant South American sauropod weighed more than 36 tonnes!

阿根廷龙在体长方面和巨型植食恐龙梁龙相当，但其体重可达后者的3倍。这种来自南美洲的巨型蜥脚类体重足有36吨。（自阿根廷龙被发现后，阿根廷过去20多年来不时有新的巨型泰坦龙科出土并向最大恐龙这一桂冠冲击，但由于化石完整性普遍较差，估算出的体型数据往往和实际有较大出入），个人建议对这类发现保持理性吃瓜的态度）

Monster facts怪兽真相Name名称：Argentinosaurus, means 'Argentina lizard'，阿根廷龙，意为‘阿根廷蜥蜴’Group类别：dinosaur恐龙（泰坦龙科）Size体型：27m long，长27米Food食物：plants，植物Lived生存年代及分布：in the middle of the Cretaceous Period about 100 million years ago in South America，约1亿年前的早白垩世，南美洲

Andrewsarchus was a frightening meat-eater with giant jaws.安氏中兽是一种长着血盆大口的可怕的食肉动物

Andrewsarchus had a huge skull, nearly 1m long --- four times bigger than the head of a lion. As far as we know, Andrewsarchus was the biggest meat-eating mammal that ever lived on land.

安氏中兽长有近1米长的巨大头骨，是狮子头部的4倍大。就我们目前所知，安氏中兽是存在过的陆生肉食性哺乳类中体型最大的。

Enter the hunter展开捕猎

In the Early Palaeocene, about 65 million years ago, there were no meat-eating mammals. This meant that the plant-eaters flourished. But about 5 million years later, a new order of carnivores called the acreodi evolved. Andrewsarchus was the biggest meat-eater of that order.

在约6500万年前的古新世早期，还没有肉食性的哺乳类（新生代之处哺乳类还未大型化，不过这里显然没算上吃昆虫和小动物的）。这意味着植食性哺乳类兴旺发达，但大约500万年后，逐渐演化出现一类食肉动物，安氏中兽便是其中最大的成员。

Bone crusher骨头粉碎机

The feaesome jaws of Andrewsarchus were filled with very large teeth. It had tusk-like front teeth to tear off chunks of flesh. Its broad cheek teeth were used to crush up bones.

安氏中兽可怕的双颚里长满了非常大的牙齿，前排硕大的牙齿能撕扯下大块的肉。其宽大的后排牙齿用于粉碎骨头。

Pack attack成群攻击

Andrewsarchus may have looked like a giant hyena. Like hyenas, it may have been a scavenger, or it may have actively hunted in packs for food.

安氏中兽看起来可能像只巨大的鬣狗（安氏中兽所属的踝节目和食肉目的鬣狗风马牛不相及，倒是和有蹄类更接近些）。和鬣狗一样，它可能也会食腐，或者是积极的捕食者，且成群捕食。（目前的主流观点至少不太认同安氏中兽是积极的捕食者，当然个人觉得安氏中兽在食性上可能还是更偏肉食，或许会像完齿猪那样靠体型和吓人的长相抢别人的猎物）

Monster facts怪兽真相Name名称：Andrewsarchus, means 'Andrews' ruler'，安氏中兽，以其发现者安德鲁斯命名Group类别：mammal哺乳类（踝节目中兽科）Size体型：4m long，长4米Food食物：meat，肉（实际可能为偏肉食一些的杂食）Lived生存年代及分布：about 40 million years ago in the Late Eocene in Asia，约4000万年前的始新世晚期，亚洲