The ferocious predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous Sahara - Nizar Ibrahim

譯者: Szu-Wen Kung 審譯者: Helen Chang

There are few places on Earth less hospitable to life

地球上幾乎沒有比乾枯的撒哈拉沙漠

than the bone-dry Sahara Desert.

更不適合居住的地方

Yet it wasn't always this way.

但並不是一直以來都是如此

100 million years ago, during a period known as the Mid-Cretaceous,

一億年前的「白堊紀」中期

a gargantuan river system flowed across the region

一條巨河系統

從現今的埃及貫穿流至摩洛哥

from modern day Egypt to Morocco.

The whole world at that time would look rather different to us.

當時的世界與現在相差甚遠

The continents had yet to assume their current positions.

大陸板塊尚未處於現在的位置

Extreme temperatures were common

極端的氣溫是一種常態

and fierce storms made life unpredictable.

強烈的暴風雨使生活充滿未知數

Dinosaurs flourished on land,

恐龍盤據陸地

pterosaurs roamed the skies,

翼龍漫天飛翔

and giant marine reptiles and sharks swam in warm seas.

大型海洋爬蟲類與鯊魚悠游於暖洋中

Small mammals, our ancestors, lived quite literally in the shadow

人類的祖先──小型哺乳動物

基本上活在這些巨型生物的陰影下

of these extraordinary creatures.

In this world of huge predators,

在此充滿大型肉食動物的世界裡

the River of Giants,

巨獸之河

which is what some call this region of what is now northern Africa,

也就是位於現今的北非地帶

stood out as particularly dangerous.

是當時最危險的地區

In most ecosystems, it's lonely at the top of the food chain.

在生態系統中 位居食物鏈之首容易餓死

There usually isn't enough prey to sustain many predators.

因為沒有足夠的獵物 讓大型肉食動物維生

Yet an incredible variety of aquatic prey species in the river-based ecosystem

但河流生態富藏各類的水生獵物

may have allowed a large and diverse population of apex predators to coexist.

可與各種大型肉食物種並存

We know this thanks to a wealth of fossils we found in an area

我們之所以知道 要歸功在卡瑪卡瑪地層一帶

called the Kem Kem Beds.

所發現的豐富化石

Many of the predators we've discovered had head and body shapes

我們發現許多獵食動物 有頭和身體的型態

that made them uniquely adapted to hunt the different types and sizes

這特別能讓牠們適應於水裡

of aquatic prey.

獵食不同種類大小的生物

This allowed many Kem Kem predators to take full advantage

這也讓卡瑪卡瑪地層的獵食者

of the one abundant food source in this environment: fish.

獨享這生態中的豐盛食物──魚

This also allowed them to avoid direct competition

這也使得牠們避免了

with the predators going after land-loving animals.

與陸上動物掠食者的直接競爭

Prey species in the river system had to contend with attacks from all sides,

河中的獵物 有來自四面八方的獵食者

including from above.

包括天上飛的

Flying reptiles dominated the skies.

會飛的爬蟲類佔據天空

Alanqa Saharica had a wingspan of up to nine meters,

「撒哈拉卡翼龍」翼展達九公尺

and long slender jaws that helped it snatch fish

修長的下顎方便抓魚

and small terrestrial animals.

和獵捕小型的陸棲動物

At least seven different types of crocodile-like predators

至少有七種不同類似鱷魚的獵食者

patrolled the waterways,

在河中來回巡邏

including the roughly ten-meter-long Elosuchus.

其中包括身長約十公尺的「埃羅鱷」

And multiple species of T-rex-sized carnivorous dinosaurs called theropods,

多種類似暴龍 學名「獸腳亞目」的肉食恐龍

lived side by side.

也比鄰而居

In the River of Giants, Spinosaurus was king.

「棘龍」稱霸巨獸之河

This 15-meter-long dinosaur was even longer than T-rex,

這種身長 15 公尺的恐龍 比暴龍還長

with short muscular hind legs,

有雙短而壯實的後腿

a flexible tail,

具有彈性的尾巴

and broad feet.

以及寬大的雙足

It's two-meter-high sail warned other creatures of its fearsome size

兩米高的背鰭足以威嚇其他動物

and may have also been used to attract mates.

也能夠吸引異性

Spinosaurus' long slender jaws were spiked with conical teeth,

棘龍修長的下顎內長有銳利的牙齒

perfect for swiftly clamping down on slippery aquatic prey.

能快速地獵捕滑溜的水中獵物

This apex predator, as well as its ecosystem,

這種頂尖的獵食者與其所在的生態圈

is unparalleled in the history of life on Earth.

是地球有史來絕無僅有

All that's left of these fearsome predators are fossils.

這類嚇人的獵食動物 如今只徒留化石

About 93 million years ago, sea levels rose,

約九千三百萬年前海平面上升

submerging the Kem Kem region in a shallow sea.

卡瑪卡瑪地層被淺海所淹沒

Tens of millions of years later,

幾千萬年後

an asteroid impact,

行星撞擊地球

volcanic eruptions,

火山爆發

and associated changes in climate

還有氣候變遷

wiped out the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and many other groups of animals and plants,

使得恐龍、翼龍和許多種類的動植物

including their unique ecoysystems.

包括獨特的生態系統遭受滅絕

That mass extinction paved the way for the rise of new kinds of birds,

大量的絕種也迎來新物種鳥類

larger mammals,

大型哺乳動物的出現

and eventually us.

最終人類也出現了