ELAKE BARREALES, Argentina - Njengoba uJorge Calvo ehamba ogwini olunothuli lwaleli chibi lasePatagonian, wahlola ukungcola okubomvu, ekhomba izinsalela ze-dinosaur elangeni lasogwadule.
Eqhubeka, wehlela emgodini ongamamitha ayisishiyagalombili wabe eseqhweba uMarcela Milani, uchwepheshe osebenza ngesipikili esiwugqinsi nesando. Ubephuma edwaleni efuna ithambo lenyonga elingekho okukholakala ukuthi liyingxenye yokutholwa kukaMnu. Calvo edume kakhulu, i-Futalognkosaurus, uhlobo olusha lwe-dinosaur edla izitshalo engaphezu kwamamitha angu-100 ubude ukusuka emsileni kuya ekhaleni. Ingenye yama-dinosaur amathathu amakhulu kakhulu ake atholakala.
“Lowo waphila eminyakeni ecishe ibe yizigidi ezingu-90 edlule,” kusho uMnu. Calvo, isazi sokuma komhlaba sase-Argentina kanye nesazi se-paleontologist. “Sigcwele izibankwakazi lapha. Uma uhamba, uzothola okuthile."
UMnu. Calvo, 46, unehhovisi lakhe lapha, lapho kumbiwa khona izinsalela zamathambo unyaka wonke kuleli ngcwaba elikhulu lezinyamazane. Akaphishekeli indlela yemfundo evamile yezazi ze-paleontology, eqoqa emkhakheni wezamamnyuziyamu akude. Ngemva kokuthola amathambo e-Futalognkosaurus ngo-2000, wasungula isitolo lapha eminyakeni emibili kamuva eduze kwaleli chibi lokwenziwa elipholile elikleliswe ohlangothini olulodwa amatshe ajulile abomvu abukeka afana ngokumangalisayo nalawo aseSedona, e-Ariz.
Iphrojekthi kaMnu. Calvo's Dino Project, eqhele ngamamayela angu-55 enyakatho yedolobha laseNeuquén, iqukethe idlanzana lama-trailer anamagumbi okugeza aphathwayo kanye nemnyuziyamu eyakhiwe ngendlela exakile engenawo umoya opholile noma iphansi lapho ebonisa khona izinsalela zakhe ezikhulayo. Lo msebenzi wenziwa ikakhulukazi ngeminikelo evela ezinkampanini zasekhaya zamandla, ezimba igesi yemvelo endaweni.
UMnu. Calvo, nokho, ukwazile ukuheha abavakashi abangu-10,000 ngonyaka abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba, kuhlanganise nosomabhizinisi abacindezelekile abeza “kokwelapha” ukuze bafune izinsalela. Uchitha izinsuku ezine ngesonto e-Barreales, ngezinye izikhathi efuna izinkanyezi ebusuku nendodana yakhe u-Santiago, 11. Ehlobo lapha, ngo-December kuya ku-March, uMnu. Calvo uvame ukusebenza nabavakashi be-paleontologists abavela eBrazil nase-Italy. Usafundisa i-geology kanye nobunjiniyela e-National University of Comahue e-Neuquén, lapho i-dinosaur efana nezinyoni ayithola esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme yaqanjwa ngaye.
Indlela yakhe ye-paleontology iyaphikisana ngandlela thize. U-Rodolfo Coria, isazi se-paleontologist eCarmen Funes Museum eduze kwaseNeuquén, uthe izinsalela uMnu. “Angivumelani nokusebenzisa lezo zinsalela emsebenzini wokuvakasha,” kusho uMnu. Coria.
Isifunda sase-Patagonian sase-Argentina, lapho uMnumzane Calvo esebenze khona iminyaka engama-20, sesiphenduke enye yezindawo ezisebenza kakhulu zokuhlola izinsalela zama-dinosaur emhlabeni, kanye noGwadule i-Gobi e-China kanye ne-American West ecebile yezinsalela ezimbiwa phansi. Izazi ze-paleontologists ezivela emhlabeni wonke zidonswe ukuthi zizosebenza ePatagonia. Ososayensi base-Argentina bathole idayinaso enkulu edla izitshalo, i-Argentinosaurus, kanye nenyama edla inyama enkulu kunazo zonke, i-Giganotosaurus carolinii, eyayicishe ibe ngamamitha angu-42 ubude ibe yinde kancane futhi ibe ngamathani angaba mathathu isisindo kune-Tyrannosaurus Rex yodumo etholakala e-United States.
“I-Argentina inomlando ocebe kakhulu nowesikhathi eside wezibankwakazi kuwo wonke amazwe aseNingizimu Nenkabazwe, irekhodi elisuka kowokuqala kuya kowokugcina izibankwakazi,” kusho uJames I. Kirkland, isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo nese-Utah Geological Survey. Lelo rekhodi, elihlanganisa iminyaka engaba yizigidi ezingu-150, lihlukile futhi kwelaseNyakatho Nenkabazwe, wathi, ngoba ngesikhathi seJurassic kanye neningi leCretaceous amazwekazi ayehlukana, ehlukanisa iNyakatho Nenkabazwe EseNingizimu. Izinhlobo ezihlukene zama-dinosaurs zavela endaweni ngayinye. Kodwa eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-70 edlule, eminyakeni eyizigidi ezi-5 ngaphambi kokuba ama-dinosaurs ashabalale, ibhuloho lezwe elakhiwe elavumela amanye ama-dinosaur avela ku-hemisphere ngayinye ukuba awele.
Izinsalela zama-dinosaurs kusukela esikhathini se-Cretaceous (eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-145 kuya kwezingu-65 edlule) bezivame kakhulu e-Neuquén. "Siyibiza ngokuthi i-Cretaceous Park," kusho uMnu. Calvo mayelana namathuna e-dinosaur, ahlanganisa iLake Barreales.
Izinsalela zokuqala zama-dinosaur kuleli zwe zatholakala eduze kwaseNeuquén ngo-1882. Kwaphela amashumi eminyaka iminyuziyamu eBuenos Aires naseLa Plata, eduze nenhloko-dolobha, ibonakala iqoqa zonke izinsalela zale ndawo. Ukwakhiwa kweminyuziyamu yesifunda ezungeze i-Neuquén kule minyaka engamashumi amabili edlule kusize ukugcina izinsalela zisekhaya futhi kudale uhlobo lwe-dino-tourism.
Abanye baye baweqisa isimo esisanda kutholwa sesifunda. URuben Carolini, inhloko yomnyuziyamu wama-dinosaur e-El Chocón, eduze kwaseNeuquén, kubikwa ukuthi wazibopha ngamaketanga ohlaka lwamathambo e-Giganotosaurus ngo-2006 ukuze afune ukuthi izinsalela nezifanekiso ezithunyelwe eBuenos Aires naphesheya kwezilwandle zibuyiselwe esikhungweni sakhe. Ngemva kwamahora ambalwa, wazikhulula ngemva kokuba ugebhezi lwekhanda olwakhiwe kabusha lomuntu odla inyama, olwalulibangise eBuenos Aires, lubuyiselwe e-El Chocón.
Ngaphambi kokuthi abe umqondisi wemnyuziyamu, uMnu. Carolini wayengumakhenikha wezimoto kanye nokuzingela ama-dinosaur owayeshayela inqola yendunduma futhi egqoke isigqoko sase-Indiana Jones. Waduma kakhulu ngo-1993 ngokuthola kwakhe ithambo lomlenze we-Giganotosaurus, eliheha le ndawo futhi ladonsa ukunakwa kwamazwe ngamazwe.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMnu. Calvo unephupho lokuguqula indawo yakhe eyedwa ibe indawo enkulu yezokuvakasha. Wabonisa imodeli yesikali yemnyuziyamu ye-paleontology eyizigidi ezimbili engase ibe nomhubhe oqhunyiswe entabeni ye-red-rock eholela engxenyeni enikelwe emlandweni wamaNdiya omdabu angamaMapuche.
"Ngangikwazi ukucinga amathambo e-dinosaur impilo yami yonke kanye nezinye izikhathi ezimbili zokuphila kwami kodwa ngingawenzi," esho. “Into eyodwa esinayo lapha isikhathi.”
nytimes.com
