Ososayensi baseSimon Fraser University bathi ucwaningo lwabo mayelana nensalela yakamuva etholwe eduze kwasePrinceton, BC luphakamisa imibuzo mayelana nokuthi ukuhlakazeka kwezilwane nezitshalo kwenzeka kanjani eNyakatho Nenkabazwe eminyakeni engaba izigidi ezingu-50 edlule, okuhlanganisa nokuthi izikhawu ezimfushane zokufudumala kwembulunga zazidlala yini.
Lezi zinsalela zatholwa isakhamuzi sase-Princeton u-Beverly Burlingame futhi zatholakala kubacwaningi ngomnyuziyamu wedolobha. Abacwaningi bathi yisifanekiso sokuqala saseCanada sentuthwane eyashabalala i-Titanomyrma, inhlobo yayo enkulu kakhulu yayinkulu ngokumangalisayo, inomzimba we-wren namaphiko ayingxenye yonyawo.
Izazi ze-paleontologists ze-SFU uBruce Archibald kanye noRolf Mathewes, kanye no-Arvid Aase we-Fossil Butte National Monument e-Wyoming, bashicilele ucwaningo lwabo ngensalela oshicilelweni lwamanje lwe-Canadian Entomologist.
Eminyakeni eyishumi ngaphambili, u-Archibald nabahlanganyeli bathola imfucumfucu enkulu ye-Titanomyrma evela e-Wyoming ekhabetheni lomnyuziyamu eDenver. U-Archibald uthi: “Le ntuthwane kanye nezinsalela ezintsha zasendulo zaseBritish Columbia kuseduze kakhulu nezinye izinsalela ze-Titanomyrma osekunesikhathi eside zaziwa eJalimane naseNgilandi. Lokhu kuphakamisa imibuzo yokuthi lezi zinambuzane zasendulo zazihamba kanjani phakathi kwamazwekazi ukuze zibonakale nhlangothi zombili ze-Atlantic cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo.”
IYurophu neNyakatho Melika zazixhunywe umhlaba ngaphesheya kwe-Arctic ngaleso sikhathi, njengoba iNorth Atlantic yayingakavulwa ngokwanele ukukhukhuleka kwezwekazi ukuze ihlukanise ngokuphelele. Kodwa ingabe isimo sezulu sasendulo sasenyakatho ekude sasiyifanelekela indlela ababehamba ngayo?
Ososayensi bathola ukuthi isimo sezulu sasendulo sasishisa lapho lezi zintuthwane zazihlala khona e-Wyoming naseYurophu. Baphinde bathola ukuthi izintuthwane zesimanje ezinezindlovukazi ezinkulu nazo zihlala ezindaweni ezishisayo, okuholela ekutheni zihlobanise ubukhulu bezintuthwane eziyizindlovukazi namazinga okushisa aphezulu. Lokhu kudala inkinga, nokho, njengoba nakuba i-Arctic yasendulo yayinesimo sezulu esipholile kunanamuhla, yayingeke ishise ngokwanele ukuvumela i-Titanomyrma ukuba idlule.
Okutholakele okusha kwakhela ocwaningweni lwangaphambili.
Abacwaningi baphakamisa ngo-2011 ukuthi lokhu kungase kuchazwe ngezikhathi ezimfushane ze-geologically zokufudumala kwembulunga ngesikhathi se-Titanomyrma ebizwa ngokuthi “ama-hyperthermals” okudala izikhawu zesikhashana zezimo ezinobungane ukuze bawele.
Base bebikezela ukuthi i-Titanomyrma yayingeke itholakale ezindaweni eziphakeme zaseCanada ezipholile, njengoba bekuzoba pholile kunalokho kubonakala sengathi i-Titanomyrma ibidingeka. Kodwa manje sekutholakele eyodwa lapho.
Indaba iba inkimbinkimbi futhi iyathakazelisa, njengoba izinsalela zaseCanada ezintsha zahlanekezelwa ingcindezi yokwakheka komhlaba ngesikhathi sokusatshalaliswa kwezinto eziphilayo, ngakho usayizi wayo weqiniso wempilo awukwazi ukusungulwa. Kungenzeka ukuthi yayiyinhle njengezinye zezindlovukazi ezinkulu kakhulu ze-Titanomyrma, kodwa yayingase yakhiwe kabusha ngokulinganayo njengencane.
“Uma bekuwuhlobo oluncane, ingabe lwajwayela lesi sifunda esinesimo sezulu esipholile ngokuncishiswa kobukhulu nezinhlobo ezinkulu zezilwane azifakwanga njengoba sasibikezele emuva ngo-2011?” kusho u-Archibald. Noma ingabe zazizinkulu, futhi umbono wethu wokubekezelela isimo sezulu kwezintuthwane ezinkulu, nokuthi zawela kanjani i-Arctic, wawungalungile?"
U-Archibald uthi lolu cwaningo lusiza ososayensi baqonde kangcono ukuthi umphakathi wezilwane nezitshalo wase-BC wakhiwa kanjani lapho isimo sezulu sihluke kakhulu. “Ukuqonda indlela ukuphila okwahlakazeka ngayo phakathi kwamazwekazi asenyakatho esimweni sezulu esihluke kakhulu eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-50 edlule ngokwengxenye kuchaza izindlela zokusatshalaliswa kwezilwane nezitshalo esizibona namuhla,” kusho u-Archibald.
“I-Titanomyrma ingase futhi isisize siqonde kangcono ukuthi ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kungathinta kanjani ukuthi ukusatshalaliswa kokuphila kungashintsha kanjani. Ukulungiselela ikusasa, kuyasiza ukuqonda okwedlule.”
Uyanezela, “Kuzodingeka sithole eminye imivubukulo. Ingabe imibono yethu ye-ecology ye-Titanomyrma, kanjalo nalokhu kuhlakazeka kwempilo yasendulo, idinga ukubuyekezwa? Okwamanje, kuseyimpicabadala.”
Ucwaningo lwashicilelwa okokuqala eCambridge University Press. Funda incwadi isihloko sokuqala.
