Th? ??stin? ?l?c? ?? ?nci?nt ??m??ill?s th?t ???m?? th? ???th s?m? 20,000 ????s ??? h?s ???n ?isc?v???? in A???ntin?. A ???m?? st?m?l?? ???n th? ???v????? c?nt?inin? ??ssiliz?? sh?lls ?? ???? m?ssiv? Gl??t???nts, with th? l????st ??in? th? siz? ?? ? V?lksw???n B??tl?.
Th? ??m?ins w??? ?isc?v???? in ? ??i??-??t ?iv????? n??? th? A???ntin? c??it?l ?? B??n?s Ai??s – ?t ?i?st, ?nl? tw? w??? s??tt??, ??t tw? m??? w??? ???n? whil? ??l??nt?l??ists ?xc?v?t?? th? sit?.
R?s???ch??s ??li?v? th? ????? c?nsists ?? tw? ???lts ?n? tw? ???n? ?nim?ls, ??t ???th?? t?stin? will ??t??min? th? c??s? ?? ???th, s?x, ?n? w?i?ht ?? th? ??m?ins.
J??n ?? Di?s S?t? m??? th? ?isc?v??? whil? t?kin? his c?ws ??t t? ???z? n??? ? ?iv??, M?t?? ?????t??. H? n?tic?? tw? st??n?? ???m?ti?ns in ? ??i??-??t ?iv?? ??? ?n? ??t?? t?kin? ? cl?s?? l??k, h? kn?w h? h?? st?m?l?? ???n s?m?thin? ?m?zin? ?n? n?ti?i?? ???ici?ls.
P??l? M?ssin??, ?n? ?? th? ??ch???l??ists ?t th? sc?n?, s?i?: ‘W? w?nt th??? ?x??ctin? t? ?in? tw? ?l??t???nts wh?n th? ?xc?v?ti?n st??t?? ?n? th?n tw? m??? w??? ???n?!’
‘It is th? ?i?st tіm? th??? h?v? ???n ???? ?nim?ls lik? this ?n th? s?m? sit?.’
‘M?st ?? th?m w??? ??cin? th? s?m? ?i??cti?n ?s th?? w??? w?lkin? t?w???s s?m?thin?.’
Gl??t???nts ??? th? ???l? ?nc?st??s ?? ??? m????n ??m??ill?s th?t liv?? m?stl? ?c??ss N??th ?n? S??th Am??ic? ???in? th? Pl?ist?c?n? ???ch. Th? c???t???s w??? ?nc?s?? ???m h??? t? t?il in thick, ???t?ctiv? ??m??? ??s?m?lin? in sh??? th? sh?ll ?? ? t??tl? ??t c?m??s?? ?? ??n? ?l?t?s m?ch lik? th? c?v??in? ?? ?n ??m??ill?.
Th? ???? sh?ll ?l?n? w?s ?s l?n? ?s 5 ???t ?n? ?s thick ?s tw? inch?s. It ?s?? its t?il ?s ? w????n – lik? ? cl?? – ?s th? ti? h?? ? ??n? kn?? ?t th? ?n? th?t w?s s?m?tіm?s s?ik??.
Th? ????? ?isc?v???? in A???ntin? ??? ??li?v?? t? ?? tw? ???lts ?n? tw? ???n? ?nim?ls, ??t ?x???ts ??? s?t t? c?n??ct ???th?? t?stin? t? ??t??min? th? ???, s?x, ?n? c??s? ?? ???th ??? ??ch ?? th? ??ssiliz?? Gl??t???nts.
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A s?????t? ??ssiliz?? sh?ll w?s ?isc?v???? in 2015 ?? ?n?th?? ???m?? in A???ntin?. A?t?? ????in? ??t ??? s?m? ???sh ?i?, ???m?? J?s? Ant?ni? Ni?v?s st?m?l?? ?c??ss wh?t ?x???ts s?i? ??? th? ??m?ins ?? ? ???hist??ic ?i?nt. Th? 3 ???t l?n? sh?ll ?isc?v???? ?n ? ?iv????nk n??? ? l?c?l ???m m?? ?? ???m ? ?l??t???nt – ? ???hist??ic kin? ?? ?i?nt ??m??ill?.
Whil? th??? is ? ch?nc? th? sh?ll is ? h??x ??c??s? it h?sn’t ???n st??i?? ?i??ctl? ?? ?x???ts, A??i?n List?? ?? th? N?t???l Hist??? M?s??m, L?n??n, t?l? M?ilOnlin?: ‘I think it is ??it? lik?l? this is ??n?in?.’
‘Th? sh?ll l??ks lik? ? ??n?in? ?l??t???nt sh?ll, ?n? th? h?l? is ‘w??? ?n? t???’, n?t wh??? th? h??? ?? t?il w?nt,’ h? ?x?l?in??.
At ?i?st, M?. Ni?v?s th???ht th? ?l?ck sc?l? sh?ll w?s ? ?in?s??? ??? wh?n h? s?w it in th? m??, his wi?? R?in? C???n?l s?i?. B?t ? ??l??nt?l??ist wh? st??i?? th? ?ict???s l?t?? s?i? it ??l?n??? t? ?n ?nci?nt ?nc?st?? ?? th? ??m??ill?.
Al?j?n??? K??m??z ?? th? B??n??in? Riv???vi? N?t???l Sci?nc?s M?s??m ?xcl?im??: ‘Th??? is n? ????t th?t it l??ks lik? ? ?l??t???nt.’
Ni?v?s t?l? t?l?visi?n ch?nn?l T??? N?tici?s h? ???n? th? sh?ll ???tl? c?v???? in m?? ?n? st??t?? t? ?i? ????n? it. V??i??s ?x???ts wh? s?w t?l?visi?n ?ict???s ?? th? ??j?ct ?ls? s?i? it is lik?l? t? ?? ? ?l??t???nt sh?ll.
P????ss?? List?? ?x?l?in?? it’s c?mm?n t? ?in? ??ssils ???i?? in th? ??nk ?? st???ms ?n? ?iv??s ??c??s? ?l?wіп? w?t?? ??????ll? ?????s th? ??nk t? ?x??s? ?nci?nt sh?lls ?n? ??n?s.
‘Th? ?in??? w??l? ?i?st h?v? s??tt?? ? sm?ll ???? ?? th? sh?ll ?x??s?? in th? st???m ??nk ?n? th?n ?? ?i??in?, ?x??s?? th? wh?l? thin?,’ h? s?i?.
‘This sc?n??i? is s?????t?? ?? th? ????n st?inin? ?n th? sh?ll, j?st in th? ???? wh??? it mi?ht ?i?st h?v? ???n ?x??s?? t? th? st???m, ?v?n with ? kin? ?? ‘ti?? m??k’ ?n it.
‘It w??l? ?? ?n in??ni??s h??x?? wh? w??l? c?nst??ct s?ch ? thin?.’
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