澳大利亚内陆发现罕见蛇颈龙化石

A rare 100-million-year-old plesiosaur fossil has been found by a group of friends in Australia's outback.

一具一亿年前的罕见蛇颈龙骨架化石在澳大利亚内陆被一群好友发现。

 

Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that co-existed with dinosaurs.

蛇颈龙是海洋爬行动物，它们与恐龙生活在同一时代。

 

They had flippers like a turtle and long necks like a giraffe.

蛇颈龙的鳍状肢有如乌龟，脖子长如长颈鹿。

 

This one lived in a vast ancient sea in what's now Queensland.

这头蛇颈龙曾生活在现在昆士兰州的一片广阔的古代海洋中。

 

Remarkably, the 6m-long fossil has a complete head and body.

值得一提是，这具六米长的化石的头骨和身躯均完整。

 

It's the first such fossil found in Australia with both.

这是澳大利亚发现的首具头骨和身躯均完整的蛇颈龙化石。

 

Scientists have been stunned by the find, describing it as the "Rosetta Stone of marine palaeontology".

科学家们对这一发现惊叹不已，称其为 “海洋古生物学界的罗塞塔石碑”。

 

It's hoped it will help unravel the evolution of long-necked plesiosaurs in Australia.

人们希望这个发现能有助于解开澳大利亚长颈的蛇颈龙进化过程之秘。

分享到：