and Feathers
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Introduction.
导言表。
4 Information from Fossils.
4,化石资料.
5 Prehistoric Birds.
5史前鸟.
8 Birds from Dinosaurs?
恐龙八只鸟?
11 Conclusion.
11 结论。
14 Glossary.
14 词汇表。
16 Index.
16 指数。
16 Introduction Most of the species of animals that have ever lived on Earth suffer extinction.
导言 大多数曾经活在地球上的动物物种都遭受了灭绝.
When the conditions of the environment change, such as when the climate cools or the quantity of food decreases, a species may die out if it cannot adapt to the new conditions.
当环境条件发生变化时,例如气候降温或食物数量减少时,一个物种如果无法适应新的条件,可能会死亡.
Paleontologists have learned about a wide variety of such extinct organisms from fossils—evidence of prehistoric life preserved in rock or other material.
古生物学家从化石中了解到多种已灭绝的生物——史前生物在岩石或其他材料中保存的证据。
Some fossils are simple marks that an animal produced while moving, such as footprints or trails left in the ground.
一些化石是动物在移动时产生的简单标记,如地上留下的脚印或痕迹等.
Others are hollowed-out impressions of an animal’s entire body made in rock.
其他的则是对一头动物全身由岩石所生的空洞印象。
Still others are preserved remains of an animal’s body, such as bones or shells.
还有一些是动物尸体的遗骨,例如骨头或贝壳。
Fossils show how new kinds of species developed over eons.
化石显示新型物种是如何在eons上发展而来.
For example, scientists have discovered fossils that lead them to believe that birds developed from reptiles more than 150 million years ago; those reptiles may have been dinosaurs.
例如,科学家们发现了导致他们相信鸟类从1.5亿多年前的爬行动物中发展而来;这些爬行动物可能是恐龙.
These fossilized remains of a prehistoric bird contain many secrets of the past.
这些史前鸟类的化石遗迹中包含着许多过去的秘密.
Information from Fossils When the vast majority of animals die, the decomposition activities of bacteria and fungi cause their bodies to gradually break down and disappear.
来自化石的信息 当绝大多数动物死亡后,细菌和真菌的分解活性导致它们的身体逐渐分解并消失.
However, if conditions are suitable, a dead animal may transform into a fossil, leaving behind clues about its physical characteristics and how it lived.
然而,如果条件合适,一具已死亡的动物可能会被转化成化石,留下关于其物理特征和如何生活的线索.
Typically, an animal that becomes immortalized as a fossil is buried in sediment— such as mud or sand— immediately after it dies.
通常,随着化石而长生不老的动物死后立即被埋入泥沙等沉积物.
This is more likely to happen in or near rivers, the sea, or other bodies of water.
这更可能发生在河流、海洋或其他水体中或附近。
Water that carries minerals, such as calcium, then soaks into microscopic spaces inside the bones of the body.
含钙等矿物的水会浸入身体骨骼内的显微空间.
As more and more of the bone tissue dissolves and decays away, increasing amounts of minerals take the place of the bone.
随着越来越多的骨头组织会分解并腐烂而去,越来越多的矿物会取代骨头.
In time, a rocky duplicate of the animal’s skeleton is left.
在时间上,动物骨架上留下了一块多岩石的复制品.
When the body decays completely away, impressions of an animal’s body form—showing such features as feathers or scales.
当身体完全衰败时,动物的身体形态的印象——呈现出羽毛或鳞片等特征.
All that then remains is the hollow space where the animal’s body was, surrounded by sediment.
动物尸体被泥沙所包围的空地。
John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon is typical of places fossils are found.
约翰·日化石 俄勒冈州的床是典型地发现化石的地方.
Soon after death, the water rises.
死后不久,取出出出水来.
The animal’s skin and other soft tissues decay away.
动物的皮肤和其他软组织腐烂了。
The bone decays away.
骨衰而去.
An animal dies near a body of water.
动物会死在水体附近
The skeleton is buried by sediment carried by the water.
骨架被水所携带的沉积物所掩埋.
Minerals replace the bone.
矿物取代了骨头。
The bones and other characteristics of a fossil tell scientists what the animal looked like.
化石的骨头和其他特征 告诉科学家动物的长相
These features also enable scientists to compare the animal with species living today.
这些特征也使科学家能够将动物与活于今日的物种进行比较.
Similarities and differences between the features in the fossil and those of living organisms may reveal how the extinct creature behaved.
化石的特征与活生物体的特征的相似性和差异可能揭示出已灭绝生物的行为方式.
For example, if the bones in the fossil are similar to bones in bird wings today, maybe the animal was capable of sustained flight.
例如,如果化石中的骨骼与今天鸟翼中的骨骼相类似,也许该动物能够持续飞行.
Such traits may also indicate that modern birds are related to this extinct animal.
这种特质还可能表明现代鸟类与这种已灭绝的动物有关.
Paleontologists use different procedures to determine how old a fossil is—that is, to learn when the animal captured as a fossil lived.
古生物学家使用不同的程序来确定化石的年代,即了解作为化石被捕获的动物何时活了下来。
Because sediment accumulates year after year, fossils found in deeper sediment are older than fossils in sediment closer to Earth’s surface.
由于沉积物年复一年地积累,在更深沉积中发现的化石比更接近地表的沉积物中的化石要老.
Scientists obtain their best estimates of a fossil’s age by analyzing certain chemicals in the rock that contains the fossil.
科学家通过分析含有化石的岩石中的某些化学物质,获得对化石年代的最佳估计.
Prehistoric Birds Paleontologists have unearthed numerous fossils of extinct prehistoric birds.
史前鸟类古生物学家已经发掘出无数已灭绝史前鸟类的化石.
The earliest known bird fossils are of a primitive reptile-like bird called Archaeopteryx (AHR- kee-OP-tuhr-ihks), which lived approximately 150 million years ago.
已知最早的鸟类化石是原始爬行动物类鸟类(AHR-kie-OP-tuhr-ihks),它们大约活了1.5亿年前.
These fossils offer compelling evidence that birds descended from reptiles.
这些化石提供了令人信服的证据,说明鸟类从爬行动物中降下.
How Old Is That Fossil?
那个化石怎么老了?
The main chemical technique that paleontologists use to estimate the age of fossils is called radioisotope dating.
古生物学家用来估计化石年代的主要化学技术称为放射性同位素约会.
This method is based on the fact that chemicals called radioactive isotopes break down to form other chemicals at a known rate over time.
这种方法基于一个事实,即被称作放射性同位素的化学物质分解成以已知的速度随时间推移形成其他化学物质.
By comparing the amount of radioactive isotopes left in a fossil with the amount of their breakdown products, scientists can calculate how long this decay process has been going on.
通过将化石中留下的放射性同位素数量与其分解产物数量进行比较,科学家可以计算这种衰变过程持续了多长时间.
That calculation, in turn, tells scientists how long ago the fossil formed.
这种计算反过来又告诉科学家 化石形成多久了
Paleontologists discover fossils, study the fossils, and sometimes help display the fossils in museums.
古生物学家发现化石,研究化石,有时还帮助博物馆展示出化石.
Fossils of Archaeopteryx, such as this one, are among the most important fossils ever discovered.
出土的古生物化石,如此等,是出土的重要化石.
The fossils of Archaeopteryx show that this crow-sized animal had some characteristics resembling birds and others resembling reptiles.
Archaeopteryx的化石表明,这种鸦形动物具有一些与鸟类相仿的特征,而其他的则具有与爬行动物相类似的特征.
Like modern birds, Archaeopteryx had feathers, wings, and a “wishbone” (a forked bone in the upper chest).
与现代鸟类一样,Archaeopteryx有羽毛,翅膀,并有"活骨"(上胸有叉骨).
However, like a reptile, it had teeth and a long, bony tail.
然而,像爬行动物一样,它有牙齿和长长的骨尾.
It also had three “fingers” with claws on each wing.
它的翅膀上还放有三只有爪子的“指子”。
Archaeopteryx probably flew rather poorly.
考古学家可能飞得很差
Scientists base that conclusion on the structure of the animal’s sternum (breastbone) seen in fossils.
科学家根据化石中看到的动物胸骨的结构得出这一结论。
The sternum of Archaeopteryx was flat.
Archaeopteryx的胸口是平的。
Modern birds have a sternum with a protruding part where robust muscles used in flight are attached.
现代鸟类的胸口有起伏部分,在飞行中使用的坚固肌肉被附着.
Without such a sternum, Archaeopteryx would have lacked powerful flight muscles.
没有这种胸骨,Archaopteryx就会缺乏强大的飞行肌肉.
Paleontologists have discovered several fossils younger than those of Archaeopteryx that depict other birds.
古生物学家已经发现了一些比Archaeopteryx中描绘出其他鸟类的更年轻的化石.
These fossils reveal how birds developed progressively modern traits over time.
这些化石揭示出鸟类随着时间的推移逐渐发展出现代特征的方式.
Hesperornis (hes-pur-OR-niss) and Ichthyornis (ik-thee-OR-niss) were two kinds of aquatic birds that lived approximately 90 million years ago.
黑斯珀罗尼斯(学名:Hes-pur-OR-niss)和伊克特约尼斯(Ich-the-OR-niss)是水生鸟类的两种,大约活于9000万年前.
Fossils of Hesperornis show that this bird looked like a large loon, with big webbed feet to assist it in swimming.
赫斯珀罗尼斯的化石显示,这只鸟看起来像一只大龙,有大网床脚来协助它游泳.
It also had a beak lined with tiny teeth to enable it to catch fish.
它还有一条有细齿的喙来捕取鱼类。
However, Hesperornis had only rudimentary wing bones, so it could not fly.
然而,赫斯珀罗尼斯只有初级的翼骨,因此无法飞行.
Ichthyornis resembled a gull, with elongated pointed wings.
Ichthyornis像海鸥 有长长的尖翼
It was probably an excellent flyer that dived into the sea to capture fish.
这可能是一个出色的飞行器 潜水入海捕取鱼类。
Fossils prove that many of the main types of birds we know today had developed by about 35 million years ago.
化石证明了我们今天认识的许多主要种类的鸟类在大约3500万年前就已经发展了.
These included birds that bore resemblance to modern chickens, doves, ducks, parrots, penguins, owls, and songbirds.
其中包括与现代鸡相类似的鸟类,鸽子,鸭子,鹦鹉,企鹅,猫头鹰和歌鸟.
Archaeopteryx (top) and pterosaurs (left) were some of the first flyers besides insects.
除了昆虫外,阿谢普特利克斯(上部)和比特罗瑟(左部)是最早的传单。
A fossil of Hesperornis shows it probably could not fly.
赫斯珀罗尼斯的化石显示它可能无法飞行.
Birds from Dinosaurs?
恐龙的鸟?
Paleontologists theorize that fossils depicting birds with reptile-like characteristics are signs that birds developed from reptiles.
古生物学家理论认为,描绘有爬行动物等特征的鸟类的化石是鸟类从爬行物中发育出的迹象.
Scientists have also uncovered fossils of dinosaurs that possessed feathers and other bird-like traits.
科学家还发现了拥有羽毛和其他类似鸟类特征的恐龙化石.
These fossils provide evidence that dinosaurs were the reptiles from which birds developed.
这些化石提供了证据,证明恐龙是鸟类从中发育出来的爬行动物.
Fossils indicate that carnivorous dinosaurs called coelurosaurs (sil-YUR-uh-sorz) were like birds in many ways—though scientists classify them as true dinosaurs.
化石表明食肉恐龙(sil-YUR-uh-sorz)在许多方面都像鸟类,尽管科学家将其归类为真正的恐龙.
The fossils of the most birdlike members of the coelurosaur group are approximately 155 million to 135 million years old.
科罗拉索尔族中最有鸟类种类成员的化石有约1.55亿至1.35亿年的历史.
They show that these animals were small for dinosaurs, most ranging in length from 2 to 10 feet (0.
它们表明,这些动物对恐龙来说是小的,大多数的长度从2到10英尺(0.
6–3 meters).
6–3米) (中文(简体) ).
They ran rapidly on two long, slender hind legs, which each had four, clawed toes.
他们跑得很快,两条长而苗条的后腿,每条后腿有4个爪子.
Their bones were hollow and lightweight.
他们的骨头是空心和轻量级的
They had sizable eyes.
他们的眼睛很大
Some even had feathers.
有些人甚至有羽毛。
All of these traits are similar to those of birds.
所有这些特征都与鸟类相似.
Since fossils exhibit these attributes, it’s logical to conclude that coelurosaurs developed into birds.
由于化石显示出了这些属性,因此可以合理地得出结论,大肠杆菌会发展为鸟类。
One of the coelurosaurs that paleontologists understand best from fossils is Compsognathus (komp-SOG-nuh-thus).
古生物学家从化石中最能理解的古老生物有: Congsognathus (komp-SOG-nuh-thus).
It is known from two well-preserved fossils, about 145 million years old, which were discovered in Europe.
其出自欧洲出土的两所保存完好的化石,出土了约1.45亿年.
Compsognathus was one of the smallest dinosaurs that ever lived—some of these creatures were only the size of a chicken.
Compsognathus是曾经生存过的最小恐龙之一——其中一些生物只是一只鸡的大小.
Compsognathus had a long, thin neck and tail and long hind legs.
相声纳斯有长而瘦的颈部和尾巴和长后腿.