Isikhathi eside, enye yezimfihlakalo ezinkulu ezizungeze ama-dinosaurs asevele engaqondakali kwakuwukukhula kwemibungu yabo. Manje ososayensi bakwazi ukuvula umgubuzelo wemfihlo.
Okwaziwa kuze kube manje ukuthi ama-dinosaurs afukamele amaqanda, kodwa ukuthi imibungu ivikelwe isikhathi esingakanani yigobolondo, nokuthi yakhula kanjani, bekungacaci.
Manje sekuyaziwa ukuthi okungenani imibungu yama-hypacrosaurs nama-protoceratops achithe izinyanga ezintathu (protoceratops) kuya ezinyangeni eziyisithupha (hypacrosaurus) eqandeni. Inqubo yokufukamisa uqobo yayihamba kancane. Mayelana nalokhu, ama-dinosaurs ayefana kakhulu nezibankwa nezingwenya - izihlobo zawo eziseduze kakhulu, imigoqo yazo nayo efukama kancane kakhulu.
Ngasikhathi sinye, hhayi ukukhuleliswa kuphela, kepha futhi nokuthuthukiswa kwemibungu yama-dinosaur kwaba nokufana okuningana nezinqubo ezifanayo kwizinyoni zanamuhla, ngomehluko kuphela wokuthi ukufukamela izinyoni kwathatha isikhathi esifushane kakhulu. I-athikili echaza lokhu kutholakala ishicilelwe kumagazini wesayensi i-PNAS.
Lesi siphetho senziwe ososayensi abavela e-US National Academy of Sciences, abafunde izibankwa ezesabekayo, ngenxa "yamathuna" amaqanda asanda kutholakala e-Argentina, eMongolia naseChina. Manje kunobunye ubufakazi bokuthi amanye ama-dinosaurs ayenegazi elifudumele futhi, njengezinyoni, achanyusela amaphuphu awo. Ngasikhathi sinye, ngaphandle kokufudumala kwegazi nokufukamela kwamaqanda, ngesakhiwo sawo babesondele ezingwenya.
Isici esiyinhloko esivumela ukuthi kufinyelelwe esiphethweni leso bekungamazinyo abizwa ngokuthi umbungu. Ngaphandle kokungena emininingwaneni, singasho ukuthi beziwuhlobo lwe-analogue yamasongo nezihlahla. Umehluko kuphela ukuthi kwakhiwa izingqimba ezintsha nsuku zonke. Futhi ngokubala inani lezingqimba ezinjalo, ososayensi bakwazile ukuthola ukuthi amaqanda asafukamela isikhathi esingakanani.
Ukuthola "amathuna" ase-Argentina namanye "kubaluleke kakhulu, uma kubhekwa iqiniso lokuthi amaqanda edayinososali ayekade enqunyelwe kuzinhlobo ezilodwa, ezazisizwa izingcezu zamagobolondo. Futhi kuphela kule minyaka engamashumi amabili edlule isithombe sishintshile. Ungaqiniseka ukuthi isiphetho esingenhla esenziwe ososayensi sikude kakhulu nesokugcina.
