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Scientists Study Dinosaur’s Last Meal

科学家研究恐龙的最后一餐

By John Russell
10 June 2020

Around 110 million years ago, a dinosaur ate some plants, in what is now western Canada, before suddenly dying.
大约1.1亿年前，一只恐龙在突然死亡之前，在如今的加拿大西部吃了一些植物。

That creature is now giving important information about ancient plant-eating dinosaurs. Scientists reported recently that fossilized contents of the creature's stomach were found along with its skeleton.
该生物现在提供了有关古代食草恐龙的重要信息。科学家最近报告称发现了该生物的骨架以及胃部的化石。

The fossils were discovered in the Canadian province of Alberta. They are said to be the best-preserved remains of any plant-eating dinosaur. The stomach contents even show the cellular structure of leaves from the plants the dinosaur ate.
这些化石是在加拿大艾伯塔省发现的。据说它们是保存最为完好的食草恐龙。胃部化石甚至显示出了恐龙所食用植物的叶子的细胞结构。

Caleb Brown is a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology in Alberta. He was the lead writer of a research report that appears in the online publication Royal Society Open Science.
卡勒布·布朗是艾伯塔省皇家泰瑞尔古生物学博物馆的古生物学家。他是这篇发表在《皇家社会开放科学》在线期刊上的研究报告的主要作者。

Brown noted that direct evidence of the diet of plant-eating dinosaurs "is very rare."
布朗指出，发现食草恐龙饮食的直接证据相当罕见。

The creature was about 5.5 meters long, weighed at least a ton and was a member of a group called nodosaurs. Its name is Borealopelta markmitchelli.
该生物长约5.5米，体重至少一吨，属于结节龙类恐龙。它的名称是Borealopelta markmitchelli。

It had a wide body and a small head. Its body had bony skin and a large spike on each shoulder.
它体型较宽，脑袋较小。它的身体覆盖了由骨骼组成的甲壳，在每个肩部都有一根巨大的刺。

The creature's stomach had leaves from a kind of fern, as well as very few leaves of different kinds of evergreens. Charcoal, a black material left after things are burned, was also found in its stomach. To researchers, that finding suggests the dinosaur had been eating in an area that had recently had a fire.
该生物的胃里面有蕨类植物的叶子，还有少数几种不同常绿植物的叶子。在它的胃里面还发现了木炭，这是物体燃烧后留下的黑色物质。对于研究人员而言，这一发现表明该恐龙在最近着过火的地方觅食。

Scientists also reported finding many gastroliths, or gizzard stones. These are objects swallowed by modern birds and other animals to help the stomach break down food.
科学家还报告称发现了许多胃石。这是现代鸟类和其它动物吞下去帮助胃消化食物的物体。

I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·罗素。

Words in This Story

dinosaur – n. one of many reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago

fossilized – adj. involving the remains of an ancient animal or plant

contents – n. the things that are in something

paleontologist – n. a scientist who studies life on Earth through fossilized remains

spike – n. a long, thin object that ends in a point

fern – n. a plant that has large, soft leaves and no flowers

evergreen – n. a plant that has leaves that remain green all year long

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