德国化石为古代飞行爬行动物提供新细节
📖 逐句对照翻译
Scientists say a fossil found in Germany is providing new details about flying reptiles that lived on Earth about 147 million years ago.
科学家表示，在德国发现的一块化石为生活在大约1.47亿年前地球上的飞行爬行动物提供了新的细节。
The fossil was discovered in 2015 in the southeastern German state of Bavaria.
该化石于2015年在德国东南部的巴伐利亚州被发现。
It contains the remains of a newly identified species called Skiphosoura bavarica.
它包含了新发现物种巴伐利亚剑尾龙的遗骸。
Skiphosoura is considered a pterosaur, an ancient flying reptile.
Skiphosoura被认为是一种翼龙，一种古老的飞行爬行动物。
It lived toward the end of the Jurassic Period.
它生活在侏罗纪末期。
Researchers say the creature played an important part in the development of ecosystems during the age of the dinosaurs.
研究人员表示，这种生物在恐龙时代的生态系统发展中发挥了重要作用。
The reptile had a wing reach of about 2 meters for traveling and a set of sharp teeth to help capture and eat other animals.
这种爬行动物的翼展约2米，便于飞行，还长有一口尖牙，有助于捕食其他动物。
Skiphosoura would have been one of the largest fliers in its ecosystem.
Skiphosoura本会是其生态系统中最大的飞行者之一。
Researchers say the discovered fossil was in good shape, with nearly every bone remaining in the skeleton.
研究人员表示，发现的化石保存完好，骨架中几乎每块骨头都还在。
This has permitted the team to learn new details about this pterosaur.
这使得团队得以了解关于这种翼龙的新细节。
One of the leaders of the fossil examinations is David Hone of Queen Mary University of London.
化石检验的负责人之一是伦敦玛丽女王大学的大卫·霍恩。
He told Reuters news agency he thinks the fossil find was "of huge importance."
他告诉路透社，他认为这一化石发现“意义重大”。
Hone was the lead writer of a study describing the team’s work in the publication Current Biology.
霍恩是发表在《当代生物学》上的一项研究的主要作者，该研究描述了团队的工作。
He added that Skiphosoura has provided new information about the evolution of pterosaurs.
他补充说，Skiphosoura为翼龙的演化提供了新的信息。
"It also brings other pterosaur finds we had already made into focus,” Hone said.
霍恩说：“这也让我们此前已经发现的其他翼龙化石重新受到关注。”
He added that the discovery also helps better explain “where they go in the family tree of pterosaurs” and permits scientists to show this development from early to later forms.
他补充说，这一发现还有助于更好地解释“它们在翼龙家族树中的位置”，并使科学家能够展示从早期到后期形态的这一发展过程。
"The teeth are quite long and sharp. They are for puncturing and holding," Hone said.
霍恩说：“这些牙齿又长又尖，是用来刺穿和咬住猎物的。”
He noted these were likely used to catch smaller animals such as lizards, small mammals, insects and possibly fish.
他指出，这些可能用于捕捉蜥蜴、小型哺乳动物、昆虫，或许还有鱼类等较小的动物。
Pterosaurs are considered ancestors of the dinosaurs.
翼龙被认为是恐龙的祖先。
They were the first of three groups of vertebrates – animals with a backbone – to enjoy powered flight.
它们是三组脊椎动物（即有脊柱的动物）中最早实现动力飞行的。
Pterosaurs disappeared about 66 million years ago in the mass extinction that also took out most of the dinosaurs after an asteroid struck Earth.
翼龙在大约6600万年前灭绝，当时一颗小行星撞击地球，引发了大规模灭绝事件，大多数恐龙也在此次事件中消失。
Scientists divide pterosaurs into two major groups - the early non-pterodactyloids and the later pterodactyloids.
科学家将翼龙分为两大类——早期的非翼手龙类和较晚的翼手龙类。
The early group's members had a short head, short neck, long tail and a long fifth toe on the foot.
早期群体的成员头部短、颈部短、尾巴长，脚上第五趾长。
The later ones had a large head, long neck, short tail, long wrist and short fifth toe.
后期的那些个体头部较大，颈部较长，尾巴较短，腕部较长，第五趾较短。
The team says the discovery of Skiphosoura – along with another species that lived 170 million years ago in Scotland – have helped shape important events in pterosaur development.
团队表示，Skiphosoura的发现——连同另一种生活在1.7亿年前苏格兰的物种——有助于揭示翼龙演化过程中的重要事件。
I’m Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·林恩。
Reuters reported this story.
路透社报道了此事。
Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.
布莱恩·林恩为VOA英语学习频道改编了这份报告。
