P?l??nt?l??ists h?v? ?n???th?? th? ??ssiliz?? ??m?ins ?? tw? T. ??x c??sins in th? O?l?? A????n B?sin, n??th??n M???cc?.
F?ssils h?v? ???n ???n? ?? s?v???l t???s ?? ???lis??? sh?wіп? th? ?iv??sit? ?? ?in?s???s in M???cc? ?t th? ?n? ?? th? C??t?c???s ???i??. Im??? c???it: An???? At?chin.
Th? tw? n?w ?in?s??? s??ci?s liv?? ?????xim?t?l? 66 milli?n ????s ??? ?n? h?? sh??t, ??ll??? sn??ts ?n? v??? sh??t ??ms.
Th?? ??l?n??? t? A??lis???i???, ? ??mil? ?? c??niv????s ?in?s???s th?t w??? c??nt?????ts t? th? t???nn?s???s ?? th? n??th??n h?mis?h???.
On? ?? th? s??ci?s w?s ????t 2.5 m (8 ???t) l?n? ?n? is ?????s?nt?? ?? ? ??ssiliz?? ???t ??n? ???n? n??? th? t?wn ?? Si?i D???i.
Th? ?th??, ???m n????? Si?i Ch?nn?n?, m??s???? ????n? 5 m (15 ???t) in l?n?th ?n? is ?????s?nt?? ?? ? shin ??n?.
“Wh?t’s s????isin? h??? is th?t th?s? ??? m??in? ???s,” s?i? Univ??sit? ?? B?th ??l??nt?l??ist Nick L?n??ich.
“It’s ? sh?ll?w, t???ic?l s?? ??ll ?? ?l?si?s???s, m?s?s???s, ?n? sh??ks. It’s n?t ?x?ctl? ? ?l?c? ???’? ?x??ct t? ?in? ? l?t ?? ?in?s???s. B?t w?’?? ?in?in? th?m.”
Th? ??ssils s????st ?s m?n? ?s th??? ???lis???i? s??ci?s c??xist?? in M???cc? ????n? 66 milli?n ????s ???, sh?wіп? ?in?s???s w??? hi?hl? ?iv??s? in N??th A??ic? ??i?? t? th? ?n?-C??t?c???s m?ss ?xtincti?n.
“Th? ?n? ?? th? C??t?c???s in w?st??n N??th Am??ic? ???init?l? s??ms t? ??c?m? l?ss ?iv??s? ?t th? ?n?,” D?. L?n??ich s?i?.
“B?t th?t’s j?st ?n? sm?ll ???t ?? th? w??l?. It’s n?t cl??? th?t ??? c?n ??n???lis? ???m th? ?in?s???s ?? W??min? ?n? M?nt?n? t? th? wh?l? w??l?.”
“It ?ls? ???w c?l??? n??? th? ?n?, s? it mi?ht n?t ?? s????isin? i? ?in?s???s ?t hi?h?? l?tit???s ??c?m? l?ss ?iv??s?. B?t w? ??n’t kn?w m?ch ????t ?in?s???s ???m l?w?? l?tit???s.”
“In M???cc? ?t l??st, th?? s??m t? h?v? ??m?in?? ?iv??s? ?n? s?cc?ss??l ?? ?ntil th? ?n?.”
“Wh?n T. ??x ??i?n?? ?s ? m????????t?? in N??th Am??ic?, ???lis???s s?t ?t th? t?? ?? th? ???? ch?ins in N??th A??ic?,” s?i? P????ss?? N???-E??in? J?lil, ? ??l??nt?l??ist ?t th? N?t???l Hist??? M?s??m ?n? ?t th? Univ??sit? C??i A????.
“Th? ?in?s??? ??m?ins, ??s?it? th?i? ???it?, ?iv? th? s?m? m?ss???s ?s th? m??? ???n??nt m??in? ???til? ??m?ins.”
“Th?? t?ll ?s th?t, j?st ?????? th? C??t?c???s-P?l????n? c?isis, ?i??iv??sit? w?s n?t ??clinin? ??t ?n th? c?nt????, w?s ?iv??s?.”
Th? t??m’s ????? w?s ???lish?? in th? j???n?l C??t?c???s R?s???ch.