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Scientists in Peru Discover a Huge Whale Ancestor

时间：2022-04-24 03:25:50

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Scientists in Peru Discover a Huge Whale Ancestor

Scientists in Peru have discovered the skull1 of an ancestor of modern-day whales.

The fossilized skull is believed to be about 36 million years old. Researchers say the discovery suggests that the animal lived in an ocean that once covered Peru's southern Ocucaje desert.

The scientists reported the skull was in good condition when dug up last year. It has a series of long, pointy teeth, said Rodolfo Salas, chief of paleontology at Peru's National University of San Marcos. Salas spoke3 to reporters about the discovery.

Scientists say the ancient mammal was a basilosaurus, which belongs to the cetacean family. This is the same family that includes modern water creatures like whales, dolphins and porpoises4.

The name basilosaurus means "king lizard5" and the animal is thought to have been about 12 meters long. But it was not a reptile6 although its long body might have moved like a large snake, the researchers said.

Salas called the animal "a marine7 monster" that may belong to a new species8 of basilosaurus. "When it was searching for its food, it surely did a lot of damage," he added.

The skull is already being shown at the university's museum.

Scientists believe the first cetaceans evolved from mammals that lived on land about 55 million years ago. Salas explained that when the ancient basilosaurus died out, its skull likely sank to the bottom of the ocean, where it was quickly buried and remained.

"Back during this age, the conditions for fossilization were very good in Ocucaje," Salas said.

Words in This Story

skull – n. the part of the head, made of bone, that protects the brain

fossil2 – n. part of an animal or plant that lived a long time ago that has been preserved in rock

mammal – v. a kind of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

marine – adj. found in or relating to the sea

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

evolve – v. to develop or make something develop over time


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1 skull CETyO     
n.头骨；颅骨
参考例句：
  • The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
  • He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。
2 fossil ZipxA     
n.化石，食古不化的人，老顽固
参考例句：
  • At this distance of time it is difficult to date the fossil.时间隔得这么久了，很难确定这化石的年代。
  • The man is a fossil.那人是个老顽固。
3 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
4 porpoises 223bb3a8f6402f66c6cab07736a435ff     
n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
  • In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句
5 lizard P0Ex0     
n.蜥蜴，壁虎
参考例句：
  • A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。
6 reptile xBiz7     
n.爬行动物；两栖动物
参考例句：
  • The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
  • So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。
7 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵
参考例句：
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
8 species FTizN     
n.物种，种群
参考例句：
  • Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
  • This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

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