A???ntin? (AP) – Sci?ntists h?v? ?nc?v???? h??? ??n?s in A???ntin? th?t c??l? ?? ???m th? l????st ?in?s??? ??t ???n?, ? kin? ?? tit?n?s??? th?t m?nch?? t??? t??s m??? th?n 90 milli?n ????s ???.
O?tsi?? ?x???ts ????? th??’?? ???m ? ???vi??sl? ?n?isc?v???? s??ci?s ?? s??????? ?t l??st ?s ?i? ?s th? A???ntin?s????s, wh?s? t?w??in? l??s ?n? l?n? n?ck ?n? t?il ??????l? s?t th? ??c??? ??? siz?.
B?t wh?t’s kn?wn ????t A???ntin?s????s ?n?t?m? is m?stl? ??s?? ?n ?n inc?m?l?t? thi?h-??n? ???n? in 1991, ?ls? in A???ntin?’s ??ssil-?ich P?t???ni? ???i?n. This tіm?, ??l??nt?l??ists think th??’ll ?? ??l? t? ?n???th ? m?ch m??? c?m?l?t? ??ssil.
Al?????, th? c?m?l?t? thi?h ??n? th??’v? ?nc?v???? is ?t 7.9 ???t (2.4 m?t??s) th? l?n??st ?? ?n? v??t????t? ??t ???n?, s?i? ??l??nt?l??ist J?s? L?is C????lli??, wh? is l???in? th? ??s???ch t??m. H? ?stim?t?s th?t th? ???st ???ch?? 66 ???t (20 m?t??s) t?ll, 132 ???t (40 m?t??s) l?n? ?n? w?i?h?? th? ???iv?l?nt ?? 14 ?? 15 ???lt A??ic?n ?l??h?nts.
C????lli?? s?i? ? v?l?m?t?ic ?stim?t? ??s?? ?n th? ??m?? ?n? h?m???s th??’v? ?nc?v???? s????sts th? ?nim?l w?i?h?? ????n? 176,000 ???n?s (80,000 kil????ms).
“B?s?? ?n wh?t is kn?wn ?? th? ?nim?l, it w?s c??t?inl? v???, v??? l????,” s?i? ??l??nt?l??ist J?hn Whitl?ck ?? M??nt Al??si?s C?ll??? in P?nns?lv?ni?.
“J?st h?w l???? m?? h?v? t? w?it ??? m??? ??ssils ?n? will ??????l? ????n? ?n th? m?th?? ?s?? t? ?stim?t? its t?t?l siz? – w?’v? s??n h?w m?ch ?stim?t?s ?? m?ss c?n ch?n?? ??? ????m?nt??? ?nim?ls lik? A???ntin?s????s – ??t ?i?ht n?w it w??l? c??t?inl? s??m t? ?? ? st??n? c?nt?n??? ??? l????st kn?wn s???????,” Whitl?ck s?i?.
P?l???i?l??ist P??l U?ch??ch ?? Univ??sit? C?ll??? L?n??n ??li?v?s siz? ?stim?t?s ??? m??? ??li??l? wh?n ?xt????l?t?? ???m th? ci?c?m????nc? ?? ??n?s, s?i? ?n? this ??m?? is ? wh???in? 43.3 inch?s (1,100 mm) ????n?, ????t th? s?m? ?s th? A???ntin?s????s’ thi?h ??n?.
“Wh?th?? ?? n?t th? n?w ?nim?l ???ll? will ?? th? l????st s??????? w? kn?w, ??m?ins t? ?? s??n,” s?i? U?ch??ch, wh? w?sn’t inv?lv?? in this ?isc?v??? ??t h?s s??n th? ??n?s ?i?sth?n?.
“C??t?inl? th? n?w ?nim?l ??????s t? ?? ?t l??st ?s l???? ?s A???ntin?s????s, ?n? is ? n?w s??ci?s,” U?ch??ch ?????. “Its ???l sci?nti?ic v?l?? c?m?s ???m th? ??ct th?t it l??ks lik? this n?w ???m will ?? m??? c?m?l?t? th?n A???ntin?s????s, s? w?’ll ??t ? ??tt?? l??k ?t th? ?n?t?m? ?? ?n? ?? th?s? s????-?i?nts.”
Th? ??n?s w??? s??tt?? ????s ??? ?? ? w??k?? ?t ? ??nch ??tsi?? th? t?wn ?? L?s Pl?m?s, in P?t???ni?’s Ri? Ch???t v?ll??, ?n? C????lli??’s t??m ???m th? E?i?i? F????li? ?in?s??? m?s??m in T??l?w ????n ?i??in? in J?n???? 2013.
“Wh?t th?? ?isc?v???? is ? c?m?t??? ?? ?in?s???s th? lik?s ?? which w? h?? n?v?? s??n in th? hist??? ?? A???ntin? ??l??nt?l???,” s?i? th? m?s??m’s ?i??ct??, R???n C?n??. Al?n? with this tit?n?s???, th?? h?v? ?l????? ???n? th? ??ssils ?? s?v?n ?th?? ?in?s???s, ?n? h?v? ?nl? ?nc?v???? ?n ?stim?t?? 20 ???c?nt ?? th? ?in?. F?? n?w, th? ??st h?v? ???n c?v???? with ?l?st?? t? ???t?ct th?m ???m th? s??th??n wint??, ?n? ?xc?v?ti?ns will ??s?m? in th? s??in?.
“Giv?n th? l?n?th ?n? m??nit??? this ?nim?l will ??in? ?l?n? wh?n it’s ??c?nst??ct??, th??? w?n’t ?? ? ??il?in? th?t c?n c?nt?in it. I think w?’?? ??in? t? n??? ? n?w h?m?,” C?n?? s?i?.