Earliest gliding mammal found in China

时间：2006-12-18 00:30:22

（单词翻译:单击）

Chinanews, Beijing, Dec. 16 - The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that fossil evidence had proved that gliding1 mammals had come into being at least 125 million years ago, about 70 million years earlier than previous bat fossils suggested.

 

A complete fossil skeleton of a gliding mammal was found in the Mesozoic layer of Inner Mongolia. It was named Volaticotherium antiquus ("ancient gliding beast"). The fossil was about 12 to 14 cm, about the size of a flying squirrel, but with specialized2 teeth, unlike bats and squirrals. Its patagia are perfectly3 preserved, which might represent mammal's first attempt to conquer the sky. It can be inferred from this that the ancient flying mammals lived in the trees,

 

Though it is not genetically4 related to today's gliding mammals, the ancient gliding beast still looks similar to them, which should be the result of natural selection.

 
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1 gliding gliding     
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的
参考例句：
  • Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
  • The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。
2 specialized Chuzwe     
adj.专门的，专业化的
参考例句：
  • There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
  • These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。
3 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
4 genetically Lgixo     
adv.遗传上
参考例句：
  • All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
  • Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

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