Kuyamangaza ukucabanga ukuthi isigcilikisha esincane esivaleleke enhlaka iminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-54 manje sesiyisambulo sesayensi. Ifossilization yesigcilikisha esisesimweni esihlanzekile siyithuba lethu lokuqonda indlela yokuziphatha, ukwakheka komzimba, kanye nokumila kwesigcilikisha kusukela ezigidini zeminyaka edlule.
Ukutholakala kwenziwa ngo-2004 ngabacwaningi u-Aaron M. Bauer, ovela eMnyangweni Wezesayensi Yezinto Eziphilayo e-Villanova University, uWolfgang Bohme ovela eMnyuziyamu u-Alexander Koenig noWolfgang Weitschat wase-University of Hamburg.
Lesi sambulo esimangalisayo sisebenza njengobufakazi bokujula nobunkimbinkimbi obumangalisayo bomlando weplanethi yethu, sigqamisa ukubaluleka kokuqhubeka kocwaningo lwesayensi yemvelo nokuhlola. Njengoba sembula okwengeziwe mayelana nesikhathi esidlule seplanethi yethu, sizuza imininingwane ebalulekile ngokuvela nokuthuthuka kwempilo eMhlabeni, okusivumela ukuthi siyiqonde kangcono indawo yethu emhlabeni osizungezile.
Ngemva kokuhlaziywa okubanzi kwesayensi, i amaphepha ocwaningo yembula ukuthi izinsalela zasendulo zazingenkathi ye-Eocene Early. Kulabo abangajwayelene nalesi sikhathi sokwakheka komhlaba, i-Eocene Epoch noma inkathi, eyathatha iminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-56 kuya kwezingu-33.9 edlule, ibonakala njengengxenye yesibili enkulu kunazo zonke yeNkathi ye-Paleogene phakathi kwe-Cenozoic Era yesimanje.
Ngokwabacwaningi, lesi sigcilikisha sasivaleleke enhlaka yaseBaltic futhi satholwa enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeRussia. Bathi le nsalela “iyisibankwa se-gekkonid esidala kunazo zonke esingamelelwa izinsalela ezingaphezu kwezicucu zamathambo. Amadijithi esampula ngokuvamile awashintshile futhi embula inhlanganisela eyingqayizivele yezinhlamvu ezingabonakali kunoma iyiphi indlela yokuphila.”
Ukutholwa kuphinde kwaveza ukuthi ama-scasors (izinyawo ezincane zesigcilikisha) ziyafana nalezo ezitholakala esikhathini samanje futhi zafakazela ukuthi isimiso esiyinkimbinkimbi sokunamathela sasikhona ku-geckos cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-20 kuya kwezingu-30 ngaphambi kwalokho okwakucatshangwa ngaphambili.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi izigcilikisha sezihlale kule planethi isikhathi eside kangako futhi ziye zasinda kunoma iyiphi imvelo eziphonse phambi kwazo kuze kube manje. Kungakholeki futhi kuyinqaba kangakanani ngesikhathi esifanayo?
Ngemva kokufunda ngesigcilikisha esineminyaka eyizigidi ezingu-54 ubudala esibhajwe inhlaka, funda ngaso ama-octopus angaphambi komlando ayekhona ngaphambi kwama-dinosaurs.
