Izazi ze-paleontologists zaseMelika zithole izinsalela zesilwane esingajwayelekile eTexas, okuvele ukuthi yisirhubuluzi "esinamehlo amathathu". Lesi silwane saphila cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-225 edlule, nangaphambi kokuqala kwenkathi yedinosaur.
Uma kubhekwa izingcezu ezasinda zamathambo, isilwane esihuquzelayo cishe asizange sehluke ngokubukeka kuma- "butting" pachycephalosaurs, kodwa ngasikhathi sinye sasifana nengwenya. I-reptile Triopticus ikhombisa ukuthi ukuhlangana phakathi kwama-dinosaurs namalungu ohlobo lwengwenya kwakuvame kakhulu kunokulindelekile, kusho uMichelle Stoker waseVirginia Tech. Ngokusobala, izici ezithile ezikhona, njengoba bekukholelwa phambilini, kuma-dinosaurs kuphela, azivelanga ngenkathi yama-dinosaurs, kepha esikhathini se-Triassic - cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-225 edlule, okuyinto eyedlule kakhulu.
Ngokusho kwezazi ze-paleontologists, isikhathi seTriassic ngokuvamile sasiyisikhathi esithakazelisa kakhulu emlandweni we-biosphere yomhlaba, uma ubheka ngokombono wokubukeka kwalabo ababehlala emhlabeni ngaleso sikhathi. Isibonelo, wayengekho umholi ocacile phakathi kwezilwane ezidlayo. Ama-gorgonops anamazinyo anama-saber, abaholi abangangabazeki bezwe elidlayo lesikhathi se-Paleozoic, abashiya ngokuphelele nokuqothulwa okukhulu kwePermian, futhi amaqembu ahlukahlukene ama-archosaurs aqala ukulwela i-niche engenamuntu, efaka phakathi ama-dinosaurs nezingwenya.
Isibonelo esihle kakhulu somncintiswano wangaleso sikhathi singathathwa njengengwenya enkulu yamamitha amathathu i-Carnufex carolinesis, ebizwa nangokuthi ibhusha likaCaroline. Lesi silwane, ekubeni siyingwenya, nokho sahamba emilenzeni yaso yangemuva njenge-dinosaur futhi kwakunguye owayehamba phambili embhedeni wokudla wezwekazi laseNyakatho Melika eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-220-225 edlule. Yayibukeka ifana ne-bipedal dinosaur-predator, njenge-iguanodon, kunengwenya yesimanje.
Kungenzeka ukuthi ezinye izingwenya ezingajwayelekile nazo beziphakathi kwezisulu zale "ngwenya" - yona kanye "unamehlo amathathu" iTriopticus, amathambo ayo atholwa ngephutha ezintweni zokumba ezazigcinwe buthule komunye weminyuziyamu yaseMelika.
Ngokubukeka, i-triopticus yayifana kakhulu ne-pachycephalosaurus, eyayinogebhezi olujiyile kakhulu. Ubukhulu obunjalo bale ngxenye, ngokusho kwezazi ze-paleontologists, kwenza ukuthi ama-pachycephalosaurs akwazi ukuhlangana empini yobuholi noma nelungelo lokushada. Kodwa-ke, la ma-dinosaurs avele kuphela ekuqaleni kwesikhathi seCretaceous, cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyikhulu ngemuva kokuphela kwe-triopticus.
Kodwa-ke, ukufana phakathi kwengwenya "enamehlo amathathu" ne-pachycephalosaurus akugcinanga ekubukekeni kwangaphandle kwabo. Lapho i-X-ray tomograph ixhunywe kuleli cala, ikhanyisa ugebhezi lwe-Triopticus primus, kwatholakala ukuthi amathambo ayo ayenesakhiwo esifanayo nalesi sokubulala ama-dinosaurs, futhi ubuchopho, cishe, babungenawo ubukhulu obufanayo kuphela, kodwa futhi nesimo esifanayo. Okudliwe yilesi silwane nokuthi sasinosayizi onjani, izazi ze-paleontologists azikakwazi ngokuthembekile, ngoba imihlathi "yamahlo amathathu" nezinye izingxenye zomzimba wayo ayikho. Kodwa-ke, noma ngabe yini etholakalayo ikhombisa ukuthi ukuziphendukela kwemvelo akukwenzi okuhlukile futhi kuvame ukuhambisa izidalwa ezihluke ngokuphelele ohlangothini olufanayo, okuholela ekutheni ezinye izilwane, ezinemvelaphi ehlukene, kwesinye isikhathi zithole ukubukeka okufanayo nokwakheka kwangaphakathi.
