26 Februari 2014
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Ilmuan membawa teknik digital untuk mencatat temuan
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Ini adalah salah satu temuan
fosil paling mengagumkan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir yaitu sebuah
kuburan paus yang ditemukan di samping Jalan Raya Pan Amerika di Cile.
Dan kini para ilmuan berpikir mereka bisa
menjelaskan bagaimana begitu banyak binatang bisa diabadikan di satu
lokasi lebih dari lima juta tahun silam, seperti dilaporkan koresponden
sains BBC, Jonathan Amos.
Hal itu terjadi akibat empat peristiwa terdamparnya paus secara massal, demikian laporan dalam jurnal Royal Society.
Bukti kuat menunjukkan bahwa semua paus mati karena makan ganggang laut beracun.
Mamalia yang mati dan sekarat kemudian terlempar gelombang ke tepi pantai dimana mereka terkubur selama jutaan tahun.
Kawasan yang terletak di Gurun Atacama Cile ini diketahui ideal sebagai kuburan fosil paus.
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Kerangka paus ini ditemukan dalam kondisi lengkap
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Dua minggu
Tulang belulang mereka terlihat menonjol keluar di antara karang dan lokasi itu kemudian dinamai Cerro Ballena ("bukit paus").
Tapi peneliti AS dan Cile baru berkesempatan untuk mempelajari fosil ini ketika jalan Pan Amerika diperlebar.
Mereka hanya diberi dua minggu untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan itu sebelum kawasan itu diubah menjadi badan jalan.
Tim kemudian mencatat detail sebanyak mungkin,
membuat model digital 3D dari kerangka yang tersisa dan memindahkan
tulang belulang untuk diteliti di laboratorium.
"Kami menemukan mahluk-mahluk yang sudah punah
seperti paus singa laut, yaitu lumba-lumba yang berevolusi dan memiliki
wajah seperti singa laut," kata Nicholas Pyenson, ahli palaeontologi di
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History di Washington DC, AS.
"Sangat luar biasa bahwa kami bisa menemukan
semua bintang dari dunia fosil mamalia laut di Amerika Selatan," kata
Pyenson kepada BBC.
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Masih banyak fosil yang belum diteliti di Cerro Ballena
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ENGLISH
whale graveyard
Scientists bring digital techniques to record the findings
It is one of the most remarkable fossil discoveries in recent years is a whale graveyard discovered in addition to the Pan American Highway in Chile .
And now scientists think they can explain how so many animals could be captured in a single location more than five million years ago , reports the BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos .
It happened as a result of the four events en masse terdamparnya whales , according to a report in the Royal Society journal .
Evidence strongly suggests that all the whales died from eating toxic seaweed .
Mammals are dead and dying then thrown to the waves by the beach where they were buried for millions of years .
The area is located in Chile 's Atacama Desert is known as the ideal whale fossil graveyard .whale graveyard
The whale skeleton found in a state of complete
fortnight
Their bones visible jutting out between the coral and the location was later renamed Cerro Ballena ( " whale hill " ) .
But the U.S. and Chilean researchers a new opportunity to study these fossils when the road widened Pan American .
They were given two weeks to complete it before the area was converted into the road .
The team then recorded the details as much as possible , create a 3D digital model of the skeleton is left and move the bones to be studied in the laboratory .
" We discovered creatures such as whales extinct sea lions , dolphins are evolved and have a face like a sea lion , " said Nicholas Pyenson , paleontology experts at the Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC , USA .
" It is remarkable that we can find all the stars of world fossil marine mammals in South America , " said Pyenson the BBC .whale graveyard
There are many fossils that have not been studied in Cerro Ballena
Scientists bring digital techniques to record the findings
It is one of the most remarkable fossil discoveries in recent years is a whale graveyard discovered in addition to the Pan American Highway in Chile .
And now scientists think they can explain how so many animals could be captured in a single location more than five million years ago , reports the BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos .
It happened as a result of the four events en masse terdamparnya whales , according to a report in the Royal Society journal .
Evidence strongly suggests that all the whales died from eating toxic seaweed .
Mammals are dead and dying then thrown to the waves by the beach where they were buried for millions of years .
The area is located in Chile 's Atacama Desert is known as the ideal whale fossil graveyard .whale graveyard
The whale skeleton found in a state of complete
fortnight
Their bones visible jutting out between the coral and the location was later renamed Cerro Ballena ( " whale hill " ) .
But the U.S. and Chilean researchers a new opportunity to study these fossils when the road widened Pan American .
They were given two weeks to complete it before the area was converted into the road .
The team then recorded the details as much as possible , create a 3D digital model of the skeleton is left and move the bones to be studied in the laboratory .
" We discovered creatures such as whales extinct sea lions , dolphins are evolved and have a face like a sea lion , " said Nicholas Pyenson , paleontology experts at the Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC , USA .
" It is remarkable that we can find all the stars of world fossil marine mammals in South America , " said Pyenson the BBC .whale graveyard
There are many fossils that have not been studied in Cerro Ballena
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