美科学家发现史上最大飞鸟

2014-07-11 11:34:20来源：沪江网

　　The largest flying bird known to ever have lived has now been revealed, an extinct giant with a wingspan more than twice the size of the largest living flying bird, researchers say.

　　科学家称，谁才是迄今以来最大的飞鸟这一问题的答案现已揭晓，这种鸟是一种已经灭绝的史前巨鸟，翼展是现存最大飞鸟的两倍之余。

　　These findings exceed some predictions for the largest size possible for flying birds, scientists added.

　　科学家补充说道，这些发现超过了一些预测，我们没想过飞鸟竟然能够大到这种程度。

　　The new species, Pelagornis sandersi, had an estimated wingspan of 20 to 24 feet (6.1 to 7.3 meters) when its feathers are included. This is up to more than twice as big as that of the royal albatross, the largest living flying bird, which has a wingspan of about 11.4 feet (3.5 meters).

　　这一新的鸟类名为桑氏伪齿鸟，若将羽毛算上翼展估计可达20至24英尺(6.1至7.3米)，大约是地球上现存最大鸟类皇家信天翁的两倍。皇家信天翁翼展大约为11.4英尺(3.5米)。

　　"It's a really remarkable species,"study author Daniel Ksepka, a paleontologist and curator of science at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, told Live Science. "It really pushes the limits of how big we think flying birds can get. Getting a chance to add something like this to the avian evolutionary tree is really exciting."

　　研究报告的作者是担任美国康乃迪克州格林威治布鲁斯博物馆馆长的古生物学家丹尼尔·克塞普卡。他告诉Live Science，“它的大小确实超过了我们的猜想。能够在鸟类进化树中添上这样的鸟类真令人兴奋。”

　　Until now, the biggest known flying bird was the extinct Argentavis magnificens, a condor like titan from Argentina.

　　在发现桑氏伪齿鸟之前，地球上曾经存在的最大鸟类是已灭绝的阿根廷巨鹰。它是一种来自阿根廷的和秃鹰很像的巨鸟。

　　"It's disputed how large Argentavis' wingspan was — we only have one wing bone for it," Ksepka said. "We think the wingspan ofArgentavis' skeleton was a bit under 4 meters (13.1 feet), while the skeletal wingspan of P. sandersi was about 5.2 meters (17 feet). Now both of their wingspans would be longer once feathers are taken into account, but P. sandersi would still probably be larger than Argentavis."

　　克塞普卡表示，“对于阿根廷巨鹰的翼展究竟有多大，我们是有争议的，因为我们只找到了它的一根翼骨。我们认为，阿根廷巨鹰骨骼的翼展差不多有4米(13.1英尺)，而桑氏伪齿鸟骨骼的翼展大约为5.2米(17英尺)。如果将羽毛算上，它们的翼展将更长，但桑氏伪齿鸟大概还是会比阿根廷巨鹰略胜一筹。”

　　The fossil was first unearthed in 1983 near Charleston, South Carolina, when construction workers began excavations for a new terminal at the Charleston International Airport. It was named Pelagornis sandersi in honor of retired Charleston Museum curator Albert Sanders, who led the fossil's excavation.

　　1983年，在美国南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿附近，建筑工人为建设查尔斯顿国际机场新航站楼进行挖掘时首次发现了该鸟化石。为了纪念领导化石发掘工作的查尔斯顿博物馆退休馆长艾伯特·桑德斯，这种巨鸟被命名为桑氏伪齿鸟。

本文关键字: 史上最大飞鸟最大飞鸟