一个非凡的化石捕捉了在中生代期间为生存而进行的斗争
Gang Han1,2, Jordan C Mallon3,4, Aaron J Lussier5
1Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Scientific reports
|July 18, 2023
概括
一个罕见的化石保存了一种哺乳动物攻击恐龙,挑战了中生代哺乳动物一直是下属的想法. 来自中国的这一发现提供了这些古代群体之间掠食者与猎物的相互作用的直接证据.
科学领域:
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 中生代生态系统 中生代生态系统
- 脊椎动物的进化 脊椎动物的进化
背景情况:
- 恐龙和哺乳动物共存了2.3亿多年,起源于三叠纪晚期.
- 在中生代期间恐龙和哺乳动物之间相互作用的直接化石证据很少.
- 中纪哺乳动物通常被认为生活在更大的恐龙当代的阴影下.
研究的目的:
- 报告和解释一个独特的化石,展示了哺乳动物和恐龙之间的直接相互作用.
- 为证明哺乳动物可能对恐龙构成威胁,即使是近乎完全成长的恐龙.
- 突出彰显溪形成和杰霍尔生物群在揭示生物相互作用方面的重要性.
主要方法:
- 分析新发现的化石,来自中国低白时期的溪岩形成的卢家通成员.
- 检查一只戈比孔类哺乳动物和一只被锁定在战斗中的psittacosaurid恐龙的化石遗骸.
- 对地质背景的解释,包括在拉哈尔类型的火山碎片流中进行保护.
主要成果:
- 这种化石保存了一种戈比科诺登蒂德哺乳动物和一个处于死亡战斗状态的psittacosaurid恐龙.
- 证据表明,这种哺乳动物试图捕食恐龙,这种相互作用突然被火山事件保存下来.
- 这一发现表明,即使是小的中生代哺乳动物也可以挑战更大的恐龙.
结论:
- 这种化石提供了强有力的证据,证明了中生代哺乳动物和恐龙之间的捕食者-猎物动态.
- 卢吉坦成员的火山产沉积物对于保存罕见的生物相互作用至关重要.
- 这一发现重新塑造了我们对中生代哺乳动物生态作用和能力的理解.
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