研究人员发现世界上最古老的蝌蚪
📖 逐句对照翻译
Scientists in Argentina have discovered the oldest-known remains of the tadpole.
阿根廷科学家发现了已知最古老的蝌蚪遗骸。
The animal belonged to a large frog species that lived alongside dinosaurs about 161 million years ago.
这只动物属于一种大型蛙类，生活在约1.61亿年前，与恐龙同时代。
The researchers said the 16-centimeter-long tadpole died during the larval period, or stage, of frog development.
研究人员表示，这只16厘米长的蝌蚪在青蛙发育的幼体期死亡。
The discovery is providing new information about the development of frogs and toads.
这一发现为青蛙和蟾蜍的发育提供了新的信息。
The remains suggest tadpoles today are largely unchanged from their ancestors in the ancient time called the Jurassic period.
这些遗骸表明，如今的蝌蚪与被称为侏罗纪时期的远古祖先相比，基本上没有太大变化。
The oldest-known frog remains date back even further, though no older tadpole fossils have been found.
已知最古老的青蛙遗骸年代更为久远，不过尚未发现更古老的蝌蚪化石。
The remains are in good condition.
遗迹保存完好。
In fact, researchers say, the ancient tadpole has some soft tissues rarely seen in fossils.
事实上，研究人员表示，这只远古蝌蚪保存了一些在化石中罕见的软组织。
The tadpole's eyes and nerves, for example, appear as dark markings in the fossil.
例如，蝌蚪的眼睛和神经在化石中表现为深色印记。
Fossil hunters found the tadpole in 2020, during a dig for dinosaur remains on a ranch in the southern province of Santa Cruz.
化石猎人在2020年于南部圣克鲁斯省的一个牧场挖掘恐龙遗骸时发现了这只蝌蚪。
The fossil includes the tadpole's head and most of its body.
这块化石包括蝌蚪的头部和大部分身体。
Frogs have a two-stage life cycle, with the tadpole larva developing into the adult form.
青蛙的生命周期分为两个阶段，蝌蚪幼体发育为成体形态。
This tadpole was in the late stages of development.
这只蝌蚪正处于发育后期。
Adults of this species are a similar length as the tadpole, the researchers said.
研究人员表示，该物种的成年个体体长与蝌蚪相近。
"It's not only the oldest tadpole in the world and amazingly preserved, but it also tells us about the size of one of the few frog species known from that time," said biologist Mariana Chuliver of Fundación Azara-Universidad Maimónides.
阿萨拉基金会-迈蒙尼德大学生物学家玛丽安娜·丘利弗表示：“这不仅是世界上最早的蝌蚪，而且保存得令人惊叹，它还让我们了解到那个时期已知少数蛙类物种之一的体型大小。”
Chuliver was the lead writer of the study that appeared recently in the scientific publication Nature.
丘利弗是最近发表在科学出版物《自然》上的这项研究的主要作者。
Chuliver said the soft tissue remains are important because they permit researchers to "know the diet and lifestyle of these organisms."
丘利弗表示，软组织残留物之所以重要，是因为它们让研究人员能够“了解这些生物体的饮食和生活方式”。
The remains, Chuliver added, show that the form and structure of tadpoles have "remained almost unchanged over the last 160 million years."
丘利弗补充说，这些遗骸表明，蝌蚪的形态和结构“在过去1.6亿年间几乎保持不变”。
I’m John Russell.
我是约翰·拉塞尔。
Miguel Lo Bianco reported on this story for Reuters.
米格尔·洛·比安科为路透社报道了此事。
John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.
约翰·拉塞尔为VOA英语学习频道改编了它。
