Prehistoric Moropus looked like a big horse with claws.史前时代的石爪兽看起来就像一匹长着爪子的大马
About 25 million years ago, a strange plant-eating relative of today's horses and rhinoceroses browsed in the forests of North America. It was Moropus.
约2500万年前，一种怪异的植食动物漫步在北美的森林里，这就是石爪兽，现代马和犀牛的一个远亲。
All in the family爪兽家族
Moropus was a member of a family called the chalicotheres. There were many different types of chalicotheres. Some were as small as a sheep, others were the size of large horses. The chalicotheres were around for almost 50 million years. All chalicotheres had three toes, ending in big, curved claws. And their arms were longer than their legs.
石爪兽是爪兽科的一员，这一族群的成员大小不一，有些和绵羊差不多大，另一些则和大型马体型相当。爪兽科有近5000万年历史。所有的爪兽科成员都有3根脚趾，末端长有大而弯曲的爪子，另外它们的前肢比后腿要长。
Hidden talons收起来的爪子
Some chalicotheres could probably pull in their talons when they walked, just like a cat drawing back its claws into its paws. But experts think Moropus actually walked on its knuckles to avoid damaging its claws. Moropus had three large split claws on its arms, and three shorter ones on its legs.
有些爪兽科成员行走时可能会把爪子收起，像猫把爪子缩回那样。不过专家们认为石爪兽实际上是用关节着地行走，以避免损坏爪子。石爪兽手上的3个爪子较大，脚上的则较短。
化石周围的说明文字（左上角起顺时针方向）：broad hips support Moropus' weight when it rears up——宽大的臀部，在其站立时能支撑体重；
back slopes down from the shoulders to the hips——从肩部到臀部之间的背部向下倾斜；
armoured skull to protect head during fights with other males——在和其它雄性争斗时，有装甲防护的头骨能保护头部（瘤头爪兽等少数种类头顶有类似厚头龙类的圆顶状厚实结构，很可能用于种内撞头式争斗）；
curved claws on each foot for grabbing branches and digging up bulbs and roots——每只脚上弯曲的爪子可用于抓握树枝和挖掘根茎；
three toes on each foot——每只脚上各有3根脚趾；
back legs are shorter than the front legs——后腿比前腿短
Moropus looked rather like a big horse but, like all the chalicotheres, its claws and teeth were were not suitable to eating grass. And, unlike horses it had short hind legs compared to its front legs so that its back sloped down from its shoulders.石爪兽看起来就像一匹大马，不过和其他爪兽科成员一样，它的爪子和牙齿并不适合吃草。同时，不同于马，它的后腿与前腿相比较短，因此它的背部从肩部开始向下倾斜
Piecing the puzzle拼凑时遇到的困惑
When the claws of Moropus were first found, they had become separated from the skeleton. Experts were puzzled as to what the talons had been used for. They decided they must have belonged to some kind of anteater.
石爪兽的爪子第一次被发现时是和骨架分离的，专家们对这爪子的用途感到困惑。当时他们认为爪子属于某种食蚁兽。
Dig this挖掘
Moropus could have used its powerful arms and talons to dig up roots and bulbs. Like the South American ground sloth, which came later, it might have sat back on its haunches and reached out with its long arms to gather food.
石爪兽可以用它有力的手臂和爪子挖掘根和球茎。和后来在南美出现的地懒一样，它可能也会坐下来，再用长长的手臂把食物聚拢到一起。
Reaching up够到高处
This bulky plant-eater might very well have reared up on its legs to feed, too. It could have hooked down leafy branches from the trees with its long claws.
这种笨重的植食动物可能也会用后腿站立起来觅食，它可以用长爪从树上扯下多叶的枝条。
Monster facts怪兽真相 Name名称：Moropus, means 'foolish foot'，石爪兽，意为‘笨脚’ Group类别：mammal哺乳类（奇蹄目爪兽科） Size体型：3m long，长3米 Food食物：plants，植物 Lived生存年代及分布：about 25 million years ago in the Early to Middle Miocene in North America，约2500万年前的中新世早期和中期，北美
Well supported良好的支撑
This clawed plant-eater had the right body shape to help it rear upwards. Moropus had short hind legs compared with its front legs. It also had broad hips which were strong enough to support its weight.
这种有爪的植食动物有着有助于它向上挺立起来的合适身材。和前肢相比，石爪兽的后肢较短。它的臀部也很宽大，足够强壮以支撑体重。
Eat up吃光
Moropus was related to the horse. But, unlike the horse, it could not graze on grass. The shape of the plant-eater's teeth revealed that Moropus was a browser, rather than a grazer --- the teeth were designed to chew soft leaves rather than tough grass.
石爪兽和马有亲缘关系，但和马不一样的是它不吃草。石爪兽的牙齿形状设计表明它吃柔软的树叶而非坚韧的草。
It's a fact --- living fossil这是个事实——活化石
There has been some speculation that chalicotheres such as Moropus may still survive. Several people have reported seeing a mysterious creature with arms longer than its legs, bear-like claws and a horse-like head in the forests of Kenya in Africa. Known locally as the nandi bear, no one knows if the creature really exist.
有人猜想石爪兽一类的爪兽科仍存活至今。据报道有多人在非洲肯尼亚的森林中目击过一种神秘生物，其手臂比腿长，长有熊一般的爪子和马一样的头。当地人称之为牛熊，没人知道这种生物是否真的存在。
Tough nut硬脑壳
Like some of its North American relatives, Moropus males may have had head-butting contests to decide which animal would mate with the females. The contestants would not have killed each other when they fought. Their skulls were armoured with thick bone for extra protection.
和其在北美的一些近亲一样，雄性石爪兽可能会进行撞头式争斗，以决定交配权。争斗不会给双方带来生命威胁，因为它们的头部有厚实的骨骼提供额外保护。
This huge reptile was the largest land-living meat-eater of its day.这种巨型爬虫是它那个时代最大的陆生食肉动物
The 'ruling reptiles' reigned for more than 180 million years. They included dinosaurs, pterosaurs and crocodiles. Erythrosuchus, a thecodont, was one of the earliest ruling reptiles.
主龙类统治地球长达至少1.8亿年，包含恐龙、翼龙和鳄类。属于槽齿类的引鳄是最早的一种主龙。
Big and broad大而宽
Erythrosuchus had a large, 1m-long head. Its powerful jaws were filled with sharp, cone-shaped teeth. experts believe that this huge meat-eater lived on land most of the time. It had a broad, squat body, but its legs did not sprawl out from its body like the water-loving thecodonts. The legs were more upright, so Erythrosuchus was able to move about much more easily.
引鳄长有1米长的大脑袋。其有力的双颚里满是锋利的锥型齿。专家们相信这种巨大的食肉动物大部分时间里生活在陆地上。其身躯宽大而矮胖，但腿部并非像偏好水生的种类那样从身体两侧伸出，而是更加笔直，因此它活动起来会更轻松。
All powerful浑身有力
With its gaping jaws and deadly bite, this bulky carnivore was one of the most successful hunters in the Early Triassic. Erythrosuchus could even overpower other ferocious meat-eaters, such as wolf-sized Cynognathus.
引鳄的嘴能长得很大，凭借致命的咬力，这种笨重的捕食者是三叠纪早期最成功的捕食者之一。引鳄甚至能压制其他可怕的食肉动物，比如体型和狼相仿的犬颌兽。
Monster facts怪兽真相 Name名称：Erythrosuchus, means 'red crocodile'，引鳄，意为‘红鳄鱼’ Group类别：reptile爬虫类 Size体型：up to 5m long，长达5米 Food食物：meat，肉 Lived生存年代及分布：about 230 million years ago in the Early Triassic Period in South Africa，约2亿3000万年前的三叠纪早期，南非
From the dinosaur-rich rocks of Argentina came fossils of sail-backed Amargasaurus.长有帆状背部的阿马加龙的化石出自阿根廷富含恐龙化石的岩层中
This extraordinary dinosaur was one of the most important finds in Argentina. It was named after La Amarga , the place where it was discovered.
这种不寻常的恐龙是阿根廷最重要的发现之一。它得名于其发现地La Amarga（阿根廷内乌肯省一个峡谷的名字，谷内地层也因此得名阿马加组La Amarga Formation）
Back up背部的‘帆’
The sail-backed dinosaurs were strange-looking creatures. Experts have puzzled over the reasons for their skin 'sails', which were supported by bony 'swords' which ran along their necks and backs. The 'sails', which could be more than 1.5m high, might have been used to regulate body temperature. Or perhaps they were used for display purposes.
长有帆状背部的恐龙是长相怪异的生物。专家们对它们皮质‘帆’的用途感到困惑。这些‘帆’由沿颈部和背部分布的骨质‘剑’支撑，高度可达1.5米以上。它们有可能用途调节体温，或者用于展示的目的。
Newcomer新发现
Amargasaurus is a recent find --- it was described in 1991. Other sail-backed dinosaurs included the ornithopod Ouranosaurus and the meat-eating Spinosaurus that lived 30 million years earlier.
阿马加龙是最近发现的，它于1991年被描述。长有帆状背部的恐龙还包括鸟臀目的豪勇龙以及肉食的棘龙，这些恐龙生活的年代比阿马加龙早3000万年。
Hot and cold冷热
Scientists believe that Amargasaurus' sail was very useful. It may have stored the sun's heat and warmed the dinosaur up in the early morning. The sail may also have helped it to keep cool in the middle of the day.
科学家们相信阿马加龙的‘帆’很有用。它或许能贮存太阳的热量，在清凉的早晨让恐龙暖和起来，也有助于恐龙在中午保持凉爽。（个人认为主要用于防御和展示用途）
Monster facts怪兽真相 Name名称：Amargasaurus, means 'Amarga lizard'，阿马加龙，意为‘阿马加蜥蜴’ Group类别：dinosaur恐龙（叉龙科） Size体型：9m long，长9米 Food食物：plants，植物 Lived生存年代及分布：about 144 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous in South America，约1亿4400万年前的早白垩世，南美（这个年代有问题，实际应该晚得多）
