Sci?ntists h?v? ?isc?v???? ?n ?nci?nt, ?i?nt, c??c??il?-lik? c???t??? in M?????sc?? th?t h?? T-R?x-siz?? t??th it ?s?? ??? c??nchin? ??n?s,. Th? ?isc?v??? h?l?s t? ?ill in th? ?v?l?ti?n??? ???s ?? ? 74 milli?n ???? l?n? c??c??ili?n “?h?st lin????.”
R?s???ch??s ?i?st ?isc?v???? ??ssils ?? ? ?i?nt ?????t?? ?n th? isl?n? ?v?? ? ??c??? ???. At th? tіm?, sci?ntists ??li?v?? th?? h?? ?isc?v???? ? l???? ?????t?? ???m th? J???ssic ???i?? ?n? th?? n?m?? th? c???t??? R?z?n?n???n???? s?k?l?v??, m??nin? “?i?nt liz??? ?nc?st?? ???m S?k?l?v? ???i?n.”
H?w?v??, whil? sci?ntists kn?w th?? h?? ?isc?v???? ? n?w, ?nci?nt ?????t??? s??ci?s, wh??? it s?t in th? ?v?l?ti?n??? t??? ?? li?? ??m?in?? ?ncl???—it sh???? ???t???s ?? c??c???l?m???hs, ? ????? th?t incl???s c??c??ili?ns ?n? th?i? ?xtinct ??l?tiv?s, ?n? th??????s, th? ????? ?? ?in?s???s t? which T-R?x ??l?n?s.
N?w, sci?ntists ???m F??nc? ?n? It?l? h?v? ??-?x?min?? th? ??ssils, ?l?n? with ?iv? c??ni?l ????m?nts th?t w??? ???n? ?t th? s?m? sit?, which th?? “t?nt?tiv?l?” ????? t? ?s c?min? ???m th? s?m? t?x?n.
Th?i? ?in?in?s, ???lish?? in th? j???n?l P???J, ?l?c? th? ??ssils in th? s??????? N?t?s?chi?. Th?s? c??c???l?m???hs liv?? ???in? th? C??t?c???s ???i?? ?n? ??s???ch??s h?v? ???n? ??ssils in A??ic?, Asi?, E????? ?n? S??th Am??ic?.
H?w?v??, sci?ntists ??li?v?? N?t?s?chi?’s ?v?l?ti?n??? lin???? st??t?? ??? ???li??, ???in? th? Mi??l? J???ssic, ??tw??n 174 t? 163 milli?n ????s ???. B?t ??c??s? th??? w?s n? ??ssil ?vi??nc? ?? it, it w?s kn?wn ?s ? ?h?st lin????.
C?isti?n? D?l S?ss?, ???m th? N?t???l Hist??? M?s??m ?? Mil?n, It?l?, ?n? c?ll?????s h?v? n?w ?l?c?? R. s?k?l?v?? in th? N??t?s?chi? ??mil? t???, c?llin? it th? ?l??st ?n? ??t?nti?ll? l????st ?? th? s??????? ?v?? ?isc?v????. It ?????t?s ?th?? N??t?s?chi?s ?? 42 milli?n ????s.
Whil? th? sci?ntists ??? t?nt?tiv? in ?stim?tin? its ?x?ct siz? ??? t? limit?? ??ssil ?vi??nc?, th?? s?? it w?s lik?l? ?i???? th?n S??c?s?ch?s im????t??, which c??l? ???ch ?? t? 39?t in l?n?th, ?n? P???ss????s ???sil?nsis, which w?s ????n? 34?t l?n?.
“Lik? th?s? ?n? ?th?? ?i??ntic c??cs ???m th? C??t?c???s, ‘R?z?n?’ c??l? ??tc?m??t? ?v?n th?????? ?in?s???s, ?t th? t?? ?? th? ???? ch?in”, D?l S?ss? s?i? in ? st?t?m?nt.
Th? t??m s??s th? siz? ?? R. s?k?l?v??’s t??th in?ic?t? it ??? ?n h??? tiss??s, s?ch ?s ??n?, ?n? th?t it w??l? h?v? ???n ?n? ?? th? t?? l?n? ?????t??s in th? ???? ?t th? tіm?—th? ??int ?t which M?????sc?? ????n t? s?????t? ???m th? s????c?ntin?nt G?n?w?n?.
St??? c?-??th?? Sim?n? M???n?c? s?i?: “Its ???????hic ??siti?n ???in? th? ???i?? wh?n M?????sc?? w?s s?????tin? ???m ?th?? l?n?m?ss?s is st??n?l? s????stiv? ?? ?n ?n??mic lin????. At th? s?m? tіm?, it ?????s?nts ? ???th?? si?n?l th?t th? N?t?s?chi? ??i?in?t?? in s??th??n G?n?w?n?.”
C?ncl??in?, th? t??m w?it?s th?t th?i? ?n?l?sis sh?ws R. s?k?l?v?? is ? “v?li? s??ci?s w?ll-?istinct ???m ?n? ?th?? c????ntl? kn?wn m?m??? ?? N?t?s?chi?.”
“It c?nt?i??t?s t? ?illin? in ? ??? in th? ?????’s ?v?l?ti?n, which c?nt?ins ? l?n? ?h?st lin???? in th? J???ssic,” th?? c?ntin??. “It ??c?m?nts ? ???m?tic, s?m?wh?t ?n?x??ct??, siz? inc???s? in th? ???l? hist??? ?? th? ?????.”