2017年CRI Scientists make progress understanding Yunnan otter fossil

 

Scientists say they're making more progress in understanding a rare animal fossil they found in China. International teams from the USA and China discovered a giant otter¹ that lived six million years ago. Paleontologists say the fossil they found in Yunnan province is groundbreaking - and may tell us more about how animals could survive global warming.

Restored image of the otter found in Yunnan [Photo: Xinhua]

Thousands of visitors pass through the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles every year. But behind the dinosaur² bones and prehistoric³ animal skeletons are scientists hard at work. Their latest find is the fossil of a huge otter that lived six million years ago in China. And teams of paleontologists from across Asia and the USA are now working out what to do with it.

"This otter was about the size of a wolf, probably almost six feet long including the tail and probably over 100 pounds so not something I would want to meet."

Dr Denise Su is from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. She was one of the scientists who found the fossil in China several years ago.

"It's taken us this long to do analysis because when the cranium was first found it really was squashed flat as a pancake. That has been the focus finding out what it is. Now we're moving on to what it was doing, how did it move, it's huge, did it swim like modern otters⁴? What was it actually eating it has a huge head and teeth what was it doing with all of those things."

And that's what they're trying to do here in Los Angeles now. Dr Xiaoming Wang is trying to make a realistic computer simulation of the otter.

"During that period of time in the late miocene it is relatively⁵ warm, warmer than it is at the present time, it's pre-ice age but well after the dinosaur has become extinct. The bone is still in the Chinese province of Yunnan. We scanned it and took photos and measured it from that we can analyse the details and come up with overall analysis."

The scientists hope this humble⁶ otter, however huge, will tell them more about how animals respond to climate change. And that the potential treasure trove⁷ of fossils in China could be the key to understanding science both now and then.

1 otter   

n.水獭

参考例句：

• The economists say the competition otter to the brink of extinction.经济学家们说，竞争把海獭推到了灭绝的边缘。
• She collared my black wool coat with otter pelts.她把我的黑呢上衣镶上了水獭领。

2 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

3 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

4 otters   

n.（水）獭( otter的名词复数 )；獭皮

参考例句：

• An attempt is being made to entice otters back to the river. 人们正试图把水獭引诱回河里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Otters are believed to have been on Earth for 90 million years. 水獭被认为存活在地球上已经9千多万年。 来自互联网

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

7 trove   

n.被发现的东西，收藏的东西

参考例句：

• He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
• The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。