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Tyrannosaurs were fearsome predators in the dinosaur kingdom, but new research shows their hatchlings were about as big as a medium-sized dog. 霸王龙是恐龙王国里可怕的掠食者，但新的研究表明，它们的幼崽大约和一只中等大小的狗一样大。  Researchers studying the first-known fossils of tyrannosaur embryos suggest the dinosaurs were approximately three feet long when they hatched, according to a study from the University of Edinburgh, published Monday. 根据爱丁堡大学周一发表的一项研究，研究人员对已知的首批霸王龙胚胎化石的研究表明，这些恐龙在孵化时大约有3英尺长。 A team of paleontologists studied the fossilized remains of a tyrannosaurus embryo, namely a jaw bone and claw that were found in Canada and the US, respectively. 一组古生物学家研究了霸王龙胚胎的化石残骸，即分别在加拿大和美国发现的颌骨和爪子。 After producing 3D scans of the remains, researchers were able to predict that the dinosaurs would have hatched from eggs about 17 inches long. 在对遗骸进行3D扫描后，研究人员能够预测恐龙是由17英寸长的蛋孵化出来的。  The tyrannosaurs would have reached around 35 feet in length when fully grown. 霸王龙成年时身长可达35英尺左右。 Left to right, a fully grown Albertsosaurus, an Albertosaurus embryo, a Daspletosaurus embryo. 从左到右，一个发育成熟的阿尔伯特龙，一个阿尔伯特龙胚胎，一个达阵龙胚胎。 Remains of tyrannosaurus eggs have never been found, but this finding could help paleontologists spot them in the future. 霸王龙蛋的残骸从未被发现过，但这一发现可能有助于古生物学家在未来更好认识它们。 "Dinosaur babies are very rare," lead study author Greg Funston, a paleontologist at the University Edinburgh, told us, explaining that larger specimens are better represented in the fossil record because their bones were more durable. “恐龙宝宝非常罕见，”该研究的主要作者、爱丁堡大学的古生物学家格雷格·方斯顿告诉我们，并解释说，更大的标本在化石记录中表现得更好，因为它们的骨头更持久。  "Most dinosaurs didn't nest in an area where their eggs could be easily buried," Funston added, making the preservation of this kind of find even rarer. 范斯顿补充说:“大多数恐龙的巢穴的位置使得它们的蛋很不容易被埋起来。”这使得这种发现被保存下来的恐龙更加罕见。 "It's quite a big deal," he said. “这次算是个大发现，”他说。 The claw is from an Albertosaurus and the jaw bone from a Daspletosaurus, both of which would have grown to around 35 feet in length. 它的爪子来自阿尔伯特龙，颌骨来自达普龙，两者都能长到大约35英尺长。  They were slightly smaller than their more famous cousin, Tyrannosaurus rex, which grew up to 40 feet in length, Funston said. 范斯顿说，它们比它们更有名的表亲雷克斯暴龙要小一些，雷克斯暴龙能长到40英尺长。 Researchers found the jaw bone, which is just over an inch long, had features distinctive to the tyrannosaur group, including a pronounced chin. 研究人员发现，这块颚骨只有一英寸多一点长，具有霸王龙群体特有的特征，包括发达的下巴。  While tyrannosaurs are known to have undergone many changes over their lifetime, this shows the embryos already had certain physical traits before they hatched, Funston said. 丰斯顿说，虽然霸王龙在其一生中经历了许多变化，这表明在孵化之前胚胎就已经有了某些物理特征。 The discovery could help settle debates over whether other specimens in the fossil record come from new species or younger specimens of known species, he added. 他补充说，这一发现可能有助于解决化石记录中的其他标本是来自新物种还是已知物种的年轻标本的争论。 问题 文中提到霸王龙的蛋有多长？ 留言回复正确答案，前五名朋友可以获得红包奖励哦，赶快来试试吧！  -The End- 感谢关注 跟Amber一起看世界 |
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