恐龙行星（2011）

如果能把猎物拖入水中,它的威力更强悍
And if it can drag its prey into the water and drown it, even better.
但即使是这样的致命掠食者
But, even for a deadly predator like this,
"河之巨兽"也是具有危险性的
the River of Giants holds dangers.
阿 根 廷
从非洲到阿根廷,以至全球
Across the world from Africa to Argentina,
巨型蜥脚恐龙分布广阔
giant sauropods roamed far and wide.
阿根廷龙群正在迁徙
This herd of Argentinosaurus are now on the move,
穿越一片被火山灰覆盖的沼泽
travelling across a swamp covered with volcanic ash.
要是你生活在这样的阴影之中,这可就是个危险之所
It's a dangerous place to be if you're living in the shadows.
这些如此庞大的巨兽
These giants are so massive
沙子在它们的脚下形成了流沙坑
they've turned the sand beneath their feet into quicksand,
每一步都变成一个死亡陷阱
creating death traps with every step.
2010年发现的这个危险轮廓
It's a danger that was graphically revealed in 2010,
发掘后竟然是一个惊人的脚印
when an astonishing set of footprints were unearthed.
脚印中掩藏着一个致命的秘密
Footprints that contained a deadly secret.
经过数月的辛勤研究
After months of painstaking examination,
发现有些脚印化石中还有
some of the fossil footprints were found to contain
其他动物的骨骼
bones of other animals.
一个脚印中露出的遗骸有两只哺乳动物,十只小恐龙
One exposed the bodies of two mammals, ten small dinosaurs,
两只鳄鱼和一只乌龟
two crocodiles and a turtle.
一个脚印中♥共♥埋葬了18只动物
In total, 18 animals were buried within a single step.
但长这么大可不容易
But becoming this big is not easy.
它需要大量的进食
It requires some serious eating.
阿根廷龙重达75吨♥左右
Argentinosaurus weighed around 75 tonnes.
6吨♥重的非洲象每天要保证有18小时的进食时间
A six-tonne African elephant eats for 18 hours a day to keep going.
阿根廷龙是非洲象的十几倍重
Argentinosaurus weighs more than ten times as much.
那么它们是如何摄取足够的食物呢?
So how did they get enough food?
它们进化吃目前世界上最有效
They turned themselves into the most efficient eating machines
进食机制
the world has ever known.
它们的所有构造都是以消耗最少的精力
Everything about them is designed to get the most food in
却吃进最多的食物并输出最大的热能为宗旨
and the most calories out, with the least effort.
它们的长颈使它们毋须移♥动♥就能吃到更多食物
Their long necks give them access to more food without moving.
但它们的进食方式是关键所在
But the way they eat is the crucial bit.
这些巨兽不会耗费时间咀嚼
These giants don't waste time chewing.
它们将树叶扯落,整片的吞下
They rip and gulp down leaves whole,
由体内数量庞大的细菌帮助消化
which are digested by bacteria in its massive gut.
不咀嚼的它们也不需要大而笨重的脑袋
Not chewing means it doesn't need a big, heavy head
以及大牙齿和强健的颚部
with big teeth and muscular jaws,
这也意味着它的脖子能长得很长
which also means its neck can grow so long,
够到其他动物无法触及的食物
able to reach food no other animal can reach.
这么大的体型,意味着你不在多数掠食者的菜单中
Being so big means you're off the menu for most predators.
在这里,有一种与众不同的杀手
Here, there's a killer in a completely different league.
体长超过10米,重达4吨♥
Over ten metres long and weighing around four tonnes,
这是马普龙,一个在这里新发现的巨兽杀手
this is Mapusaurus. A newly discovered killer on the block.
就其体型而言,它与阿根廷龙相去甚远
On its own, even it is not a match for a fully grown Argentinosaurus.
但这种巨兽杀手并非单独狩猎
But this giant killer is not alone.
多年来,一直认为阿根廷龙太多,没有任何掠食动物
For years, it was thought that an adult Argentinosaurus would be
能将其放倒
too big for any predator to tackle.
但在2006年,一个新发现的证据显示
But in 2006, a new discovery suddenly made even
多数巨型草食恐龙更易遭到攻击
the biggest of dinosaurs a lot more vulnerable.
他们在阿根廷继续搜寻
As they dug into the Argentinean dirt,
却并不只是在这里发现了一只恐龙
they didn't just find one predator buried here.
至少有7只不同年龄,不同体型的
The skeletons of at least seven Mapusaurus of different ages
马普龙一起被发现,这说明它们是一个群体
and sizes were found together. It suggested that this was a group.
看来这种巨兽杀手是群体狩猎
A giant killer that appears to hunt in gangs.
完全有能力搞定体型巨大的草食恐龙
And more than capable of taking on the very biggest dinosaurs.
就连阿根廷龙群里的成年恐龙也不安全
Not even a fully grown Argentinosaurus is safe from this group.
最好的防御就是它们硕大的体型
The best defence is their sheer size.
马普龙像刀片一样设计完美的牙齿
Mapusaurus's teeth are perfectly designed, like blades,
用来割下大块的肉
to slice off chunks of flesh.
这么大的猎物,只咬一口还不会致命
With prey so large, a single bite isn't always fatal.
看来马普龙喜欢吃快餐
It appears Mapusaurus could just snack,
它们进食的时候猎物可能还活着
feeding from its victim without actually killing it.
幸存的阿根廷龙会在未来供给更多食物
The victim surviving to provide more food at a later date.
但即使是群体出动
But even in a group,
这些巨兽杀手也时时处在危险之中
these giant killers are never far away from danger.
被攻击比你重10倍动物,所冒的风险极大
Attacking an animal more than ten times your weight carries grave risks.
即使面对掠食者群体袭击的威胁
Even with the threat of predators hunting in gangs,
这些巨兽惊人的体型通常还是保证它们的安全
the phenomenal size of these giants would usually keep them safe.
但这只还需要成长
But a giant needs to grow.
年轻,体型不大的动物,其最大的危险来自
It's the younger, smaller animals that are in greatest danger from
像帝鳄这样的大型掠食者
giant predators like Sarcosuchus.
而在非洲是无处藏身的
And here in Africa there is nowhere to hide.
对于年轻的潮汐龙,情况会愈发糟糕
Things are about to get even worse for the young Paralititan.
在大河附近,还有另一种巨兽杀手
Around the river of giants,there is another killer.
鲨齿龙,一种总是找弱者下手的掠食者
Carcharodontosaurus. A predator always looks for the easiest kill,
虚弱,受伤或年轻的3类潮汐龙
the weak, injured or young. The Paralititan is all three.
这样致命的拔河游戏中赢家只有一个
In such a deadly game of tug of war there can only be one winner.
而这位杀手也未必能得手
But the kill is still not certain.
鲨齿龙对付小潮汐龙还可以
Carcharodontosaurus can tackle this youngster,
但一只45吨♥重的成年龙则又是另一回事了
but a herd of 45-tonne adults is another matter.
虽然受伤,但却活了下来,这只小龙侥幸逃过一劫
Injured but alive, this youngster has a lucky escape.
碰到这样的线索也只能干着急
Encounters like this have left tantalising clues behind.
在潮汐龙的骨骼中
Amongst the bones of a Paralititan,
我们找到的鲨齿龙牙齿表明了掠食者与猎物之间的关系
we have found a Carcharodontosaurus tooth suggesting a predator-prey relationship.
它们使全球分布图更为完整
They complete a global picture,
一个在世界各地都重复存在的模式
a pattern that is repeated across the world.
在亚洲我们发现了马门溪龙和中华盗龙
In Asia, we find Mamenchisaurus and Sinraptor.
在北美发现了梁龙和异特龙,且在非洲也有所发现
In North America, Diplodocus and Allosaurus and now Africa.
我们发现在巨型植食动物的周围总生活着巨型掠食者
For every giant plant eater we find a giant predator living side by side.
而在南美
And it's in South America
我们发现了最大的巨兽
where we have the biggest of all.
阿根廷龙和马普龙
Argentinosaurus and Mapusaurus.
两种巨兽似乎有着千丝万缕的关系
Two giants whose fates appear to be inextricably linked.
这只阿根廷龙被一群马普龙袭击
This Argentinosaurus wounded by a gang of mapusaurs
因伤重而倒下
has succumbed to its wounds.
在平原上
Out on the plain,
其他目光犀利的掠食者很快就会发现受伤的动物
other keen-eyed predators are quick to spot a stricken animal.
这是一个值得一等大餐
It's a prize worth waiting for.
且吸引来附近数公里之外的肉食者
And attracts carnivores from miles around.
马普龙并不是唯一的捕猎者
Mapusaurus are not only hunters.
像现今的肉食动物一样
Like virtually every carnivore today,
食腐动物在其生活中也极为重要
scavenged prey plays a huge part in their diet.
我们对这种巨型蜥脚类恐龙已有深入了解
We know enough about the biology of giant sauropods
估计这只70吨♥的动物,会有11吨♥的骨骼
to estimate of this 70-tonne animal, 11 tonnes is bone,
3.5吨♥血液,4吨♥毛皮
three and a half tonnes blood,four tonnes is hide and skin,
15吨♥脂肪和39吨♥肉
15 tonnes fat and 39 tonnes is meat.
足以养活整个生态系统到数天之久
Enough to feed a whole ecosystem for days.
马普龙的命运与这些巨型蜥脚类恐龙息息相关
Mapusaurus was reliant on the giant sauropods in life and death.
9千3百万年前,阿根廷龙在南美大地销声匿迹
When the Argentinosaurus disappeared from South America 93 million years ago,
巨型掠食马普龙也不见了
so did the giant predator Mapusaurus.
在非洲也有同样的故事,当潮汐龙绝迹时
It was the same story in Africa - when Paralititan vanished,
鲨齿龙也消失了
Carcharodontosaurus followed.
看来这就是物种的起落法则
It appears that these extinctions were linked,
这故事也在周而复始的重复着
and this story is repeated time and again.
当巨型蜥脚类恐龙消失殆尽
When the giant sauropods died out,
巨型掠食者也失去了它们的食物供给
the giant predators lost their main food supply
最终也难逃灭绝的命运
and they too were doomed.