《恐龙!》第九期 慈母龙、埃雷拉龙、华阳龙

Maiasaura was named 'good mother lizard' because scientists believe it cared for its young after they hatched.慈母龙得名是因为科学家们相信这种恐龙会在幼崽孵化后照顾它们

In 1979, in montana, USA, scientists found some dinosaur nests with the skeletons of baby dinosaurs in them - they named the creatures Maiasaura. A year before, a single dinosaur nest had been found in the same place.

1979年，科学家们在美国蒙大拿州发现了一些恐龙巢穴，其中有若干恐龙幼崽的骨骼 ----- 这些生物叫做慈母龙。一年前，在同一地点发现过一个单独的恐龙巢穴。

Muddy nests泥土巢穴

The nests were hollows, scooped out of muddy ground, and were about the size of a big, round dining room table. The parents may have lined the nest with soft plants, before the female laid between 18 and 30 hard-shelled eggs in it.

这些凹陷的巢穴被挖好，和泥泞的地面隔绝开来，尺寸和大号餐厅圆桌相当。恐龙父母们可能会先在巢穴里铺一些柔软的植物，之后雌性会在其中产下18-30枚外壳坚硬的蛋。

Good mothers好妈妈

Scientists think that Maiasaura mothers, and perhaps fathers as well, guarded the eggs in the nest, protecting them from any dinosaur that tried to steal them. The mothers may have sat on the eggs to keep them warm, going off to feed while other adults watched over them.

科学家们认为雌性慈母龙会守护巢穴里的蛋以保护它们免受企图偷蛋的任何恐龙威胁，雄性可能也会参与护巢。这些母亲可能会坐在蛋上好让它们保持温暖，等到其他成年恐龙看护时再去觅食。

Feeding baby喂养幼崽

When the babies hatched out, the parents looked after them and brought them food. The young dinosaurs ate all sorts of plants as well as fruit and seeds. Maiasaura parents may have chewed up tough plants before giving them to the babies. Experts think that parents fed the young until they were old enough to leave the nest and find their own food.

当幼崽孵化后，父母们会照看它们并为其带去食物。这些幼年恐龙吃各种类型的植物，也吃果实和种子。慈母龙父母可能会在喂食幼崽之前先咀嚼较硬的植物。专家们认为父母们会持续照顾幼崽直到它们长到足够年龄，可以离开巢穴独自出去觅食。

All alone无依无靠

Before these babies were found, scientists thought that female dinosaurs left their babies to hatch out and take care of themselves alone.

在这一发现之前，科学家们一直认为雌性恐龙会在孵化完成后丢下幼崽离开，任由它们自生自灭。

Huge herds大群

So many nests with skeletons and pieces of eggshell have been found in one place in the USA that some palaeontologists have suggested huge herds of Maiasaura lived in North America. They roamed through the forests, but returned to the same nesting site each year. They probably used the same nests again and again. When the young had grown enough to look after themselves, they stayed with the herd. Eventually, the herd moved on in search of fresh plants to eat.

在美国同一地区发现了如此之多的巢穴，里面遍布骨骼和蛋壳碎片，这让一些科学家认为住在北美的慈母龙过着群居生活且群体规模很大。它们漫步穿越森林，但每年会回到同一筑巢点。它们有可能年复一年地使用同一巢穴。当幼年恐龙长到足够年龄可以照顾自己了，它们会留在群体里。最终，龙群会为觅食新鲜植物而不断奔波。

Monster facts怪兽真相
Name名称：Maiasaura, means 'good mother lizard'，慈母龙，意为‘好妈妈蜥蜴’
Size体型：about 9m long and 3m high，约9米长3米高
Food食物：plants, leaves, fruit and seeds，植物、叶子、果实和种子
Lived生存年代及分布：between about 90-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period in Montana, USA，9000至6600万年前的晚白垩纪，美国蒙大拿州

Duck's bill鸭嘴

Maiasaura was a big dinosaur, about as long as a double-decker bus. It usually walked on its long back legs and had a big, flat tail, which it held out straight. When feeding on the ground it may have rested on its front legs then reared up on its back legs to reach the leaves of trees. The front of its mouth was shaped like a duck's bill. Further back in its mouth were rows of teeth which ground up the plants it cut off with its beak. On top of its head, above its eyes, was a short bony knob.

慈母龙是一种大型恐龙，约有一辆双层公交车般长。它通常有后腿行走，行走时笔直地伸着那大而平直的尾巴，而在地面觅食时它可能会先用前肢支撑再以后肢站立起来以便够到树顶的叶子。慈母龙吻部前端很像鸭子嘴的形状，再往里则是成排的牙齿，用于咀嚼喙嘴切下的植物。在其头顶，眼部上方还有一个短小的骨质突起。

Escaping from danger逃离危险

With no way of defending itself, Maiasaura probably escaped from the big meat-eating dinosaurs by running away and hiding in thick forests. It probably had good eyesight and hearing, which warned it of danger. If Maiasaura was very frightened, it may have plunged into the lakes or rivers. It swam along by waggling its tail and paddling with its front legs.

鉴于没有任何自卫手段，慈母龙面对大型肉食恐龙只能逃跑或躲进浓密的森林中。它应该有出色的视力和听觉，这些感官能让它得知危险临近。如果慈母龙受到惊吓，它可能会跳进湖泊或河里，通过摆动尾巴并用前肢划水来游动。

It's a fact ----- egg mountain这是个事实 ---- 蛋山

When palaeontologists discovered a single fossilized nest of Maiasaura in Montana, USA, they decided to excavate the site further. The following year they returned to their dig and found so many nests, packed closely together, that they named the place 'egg mountain'.

科学家们在美国蒙大拿州发现慈母龙的单一石化巢穴后，决定在这一地区进一步发掘，接下来的一年里他们回到发掘点，发现了非常多的巢穴，密集地聚集在一起，这一处后来被他们成为蛋山。（译者注：侏罗纪系列电影的古生物学顾问杰克·霍纳正是慈母龙的发现者之一，1978年他和同事来到蒙大拿州考察，在光顾当地小镇一家卖矿石的店铺时有幸被店主展示其收藏的细小恐龙化石，杰克认为这属于一只很小的恐龙幼崽，在店主的指引下来到化石出土地，也就是这里提到的‘’蛋山’’开展挖掘，最终发现了有关慈母龙的大量化石，为古生物学界打开了一扇崭新的大门）

Herrerasaurus was one of the first dinosaurs to roam the Earth.埃雷拉龙是最早漫步在地球上的恐龙之一

About as long as a small car, this dinosaur held its tail high off the ground when it walked. It stood upright, moving about on its long, strong back legs and probably ran very fast to catch its prey.

这种有一辆小轿车般长的恐龙在行走时将尾巴抬离地面，它能笔直地站立，靠着长而有力的后腿移动，并且为了捕猎能跑得飞快。

Fierce killer可怕的杀手

Herrerasaurus killed and ate mammals, lizards and, herhaps, other small meat-eating dinosaurs. It attacked with its front and back feet, and tore its victim with its long claws. Herrerasaurus held its prey in its short, strong front legs.

埃雷拉龙猎食哺乳动物、蜥蜴，可能也猎食其他小型肉食恐龙。攻击时它会手脚并用，用长爪撕开受害者，抓握猎物时则用短而强壮的前肢。（译者注：真正的哺乳动物在三叠纪末期到侏罗纪初期才出现，而且体型很小）

Sharp teeth利齿

Herrerasaurus had a large head with very long jaws. Like all meat-eating dinosaurus, its jaws were filled with many curved, sharp teeth. Herrerasaurus used these teeth to bite and tear up its food.

埃雷拉龙有较大的头部和较长的颌骨，像其他所有肉食恐龙一样，其双颚满是弯曲锋利的牙齿，是其撕咬、嚼烂食物的工具。

One land一整块陆地

Several skeletons of this dinosaur have been discovered in northwest Argentina in recent years. Herrerasaurus lived at a time when South America was still joined to the other continents. Members of its dinosaur family have been found as far away as China.

过去几年里（指90年代初）这种恐龙的若干具骨架化石已在阿根廷西北部出土。在埃雷拉龙生存的年代南美洲仍和其它大陆连在一起，其近亲物种已有在远达中国的地方出土。（译者注：关于这点我没找到依据）

Monster facts怪兽真相
Name名称：Herrerasaurus, means 'Herrera lizard' after the place in Argentina where it was discovered，禽龙，意为‘鬣蜥的牙齿’
Size体型：about 3m long and 1m high，约3米长1米高
Food食物：mammals, lizard and other dinosaurs，哺乳动物、蜥蜴和其他恐龙
Lived生存年代及分布：about 230-215 million years ago in the late Triassic in the north of Argentina，约2亿3000万年至2亿1500万年前的晚三叠纪，阿根廷北部

（译者注：埃雷拉龙发现于阿根廷西北部的月面谷，这里因其地貌形似月球表面而得名，是世界知名的三叠纪晚期地层遗址，至今已有多具埃雷拉龙化石出土于此，尽管如今土地贫瘠，但三叠纪晚期时这个地区气候温暖潮湿，非常适宜动植物生存。埃雷拉龙和同一地区同一地层出土的始盗龙是已知年代最久的2种恐龙，但比起后者，埃雷拉龙已显示出高度进化的身体特征，特别是下颌骨中间处可活动的关节，表面恐龙有更悠久而复杂的演化历史）

Experts are still studying complete skeletons to find out more about this armour-plated Chinese dinosaur.专家们仍在研究这种有装甲骨板的中国恐龙的完整化石以期发现更多

The first fossil skull of Huayangosaurus was found in China in 1980. Since then, palaeontologists have discovered more bones, including complete skeletons of this spiny creature.

华阳龙的骨架化石最早是于1980年在中国发现的，从那之后古生物学家们发现了更多的化石，包括这种多刺生物的完整骨架。

Unusual teeth不同寻常的牙齿

Huayangosaurus had a square-shaped head and a short snout. It had small teeth at the front of its upper jaw, which it may have used to bite off ferns and other juicy plants. Its jaws were not built for chewing so it probably swallowed the plants whole.

华阳龙的头部呈方形，口鼻部较短，上颌前端有一些小牙齿可用于咬下蕨类或其他多汁的植物。它的颌骨不适合咀嚼因此进食时可能会将植物整个吞下。

Slow and heavy迟缓而笨重

Experts believe that this dinosaur was a slow, lumbering creature. It may have walked on all four stumpy legs, holding its small head and heavy tail quite close to the ground.

专家们相信这种恐龙是一种行动迟缓笨拙的生物，腿部像树桩一样短粗，四足行走，行走时小脑袋和笨重的尾巴被抬离地面的高度较低。

Plates and spikes骨板和尖刺

Along its back, Huayangosaurus may have had two rows of bony upright plates. At the end of its tail were four sharp spikes, which were probably for defence against other dinosaurs. It had extra spikes on its shoulders, which would have been very off- putting to an enemy.

沿着华阳龙的背部有2排笔直的骨板，尾部末端还有4根锋利的可能用于自卫的尖刺，华阳龙肩部也有夸张的尖刺，这会让任何敌人都想远离。

Monster facts怪兽真相
Name名称：Huayangosaurus, means 'Huayang lizard' after the place in China where it was found，华阳龙，意为‘华阳蜥蜴’，得名于发现它的中国地名
Size体型：about 4m long and 1.5m high，约4米长1.5米高
Food食物：soft, juicy plants，柔软多汁的植物
Lived生存年代及分布：162-148 million years ago in the middle Jurassic in China，1亿6200万年至1亿4800万年前的侏罗纪中期，中国