Ukuvubukula ‘Abahuquzeli Abakhulu’ Besikhathi Esidlule

LAPHO umi onqenqemeni lwesigodi soMfula iRed Deer, ngaseningizimu nje yedolobha laseDrumheller eAlberta, eCanada, umi emngceleni wamazwe amabili ahlukene. Kangangokubona kweso, nhlangothi zonke, kunamasimu kakolo awodedangendlale amathafa aseAlberta. Kodwa uma ubheka phansi emaweni esigodini esomile nesiwugwadule, izivakashi zingabona elinye izwe elidediselwe kude kakhulu nelazo—izwe lezibankwakazi ezesabekayo.

Kulesigodi, esinemihosha ewummango yezingwengwezi zezicucu zamadwala ezinemibalabala, kwavubukulwa amakhulu amathambo ezibankwakazi ezinkulu. Abanye abantu kulendawo babiza imihosha ewugwadule ngokuthi “izwe elibi.” Kodwa izivakashi, abasha nabadala ngokufanayo, ziyashaqeka njengoba zibuka izinsalela zemivubukulo yezinye zezilwane ezimangalisa kakhulu ezake zaphila emhlabeni.

Ukuvubukula Izibankwakazi Ezesabekayo

Ngaphambi kuka-1824, abantu babengazazi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo. Ngalowonyaka amathambo ezinhlobo eziningana zabahuquzeli avubukulwa eNgilandi. Isazi sesayensi yemivubukulo saseBrithani uRichard Owen, lezilwane wazibiza ngokuthi iDinosauria, okuyigama elisuselwa emagameni amabili esiGreki udeinos nosauros, okusho “isibankwa esisabekayo.” Leligama lisasetshenziswa kakhulu nanamuhla, nokho, nakuba izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zingabahuquzeli, azizona izibankwa.

Kusukela ngo-1824, imivubukulo yezibankwakazi ezesabekayo iye yatholakala kuwo wonke amazwekazi omhlaba. Umbhalo ogciniwe wemivubukulo, oshiwe ezicucwini noma ombozwe ngamanzi, ubonisa ukuthi kwakunentilibathwa nezinhlobonhlobo zezinhlobo zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo esikhathini esasibizwa ngokuthi iNkathi Yezibankwakazi Ezisabekayo emlandweni womhlaba. Ezinye zazihlala emhlabathini owomile, kuyilapho ezinye zaziphila emaxhaphozini. Mhlawumbe ezinye zaziphila ngisho nasemanzini, ngendlela efanayo kakhulu neyemvubu yosuku lwanamuhla.

Intilibathwa yezinsalela zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo—kuhlanganise nobufakazi bemigudu elandelelwayo yezilwane ezingenamathambo—iye yavubukulwa eThafeni Elikhulu LaseNyakatho Melika. Amathafa aseAlberta ephakathi aye aveza izinsalela eziningi zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo, kuhlanganise cishe izimpahla zamathambo ezingama-500 eziphelele. Ngawo-1920, izihambi ezihlolayo zavubukula amathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo oGwadule iGobi lwaseAsia ephakathi. Ngawo-1940 isihambi esihlolayo saseSoviet savubukula uphahla lwamathambo esibankwakazi esesabekayo esingamamitha ayi-12 ubude eMongolia.

Ngo-1986 ososayensi baseArgentina bavubukula imivubukulo yamathambo yesibankwakazi esidla izitshalo eAntarctica. Kuze kube ngalesosikhathi, iAntarctica ibiwukuphela kwendawo yezwe eyinhloko lapho imivubukulo yezibankwakazi ezesabekayo ingazange itholakale khona. Ngaphambidlana nje kwalokho, umcwaningi waseMelika wathola amathambo esibankwakazi esesabekayo eMthambekweni waseNyakatho yeAlaska. Kuyo yonke iminyaka eyikhulu edlule, izinsalela zamathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo ziye zavubukulwa ezindaweni eziningi kakhulu kangangokuthi kuye kwaba sobala ukuthi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zazikuyo yonke indawo esikhathini esikude kakhulu esidlule.

Zaphila Nini?

Izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zafeza indima enkulu kakhulu ekuphileni emhlabeni ngesikhathi sokuphila kwazo. Kodwa zase ziphela. Izicucu zamadwala ezihlangene ezinemivubukulo yamathambo abantu zitholakala ziphezu kwalezozicucu ezihlangene ezinemivubukulo yamathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo kuyo yonke indawo. Ngenxa yalokhu, ososayensi ngokuvamile baphetha ngokuthi abantu beza kamuva emhlabeni.

Ngokuphathelene nalokhu incwadi ethi Palaeontology, kaJames Scott, ithi: “Ngisho nezinhlobo zokuqala ngqá zamaHomo sapien (umuntu) zaphila isikhathi eside ngemva kokunyamalala kwezibankwakazi ezesabekayo . . . Ngemva kokuba ukuguguleka kwenhlabathi (ngokunyakaza komhlaba) kwenzekile, amadwala anemivubukulo yamathambo abantu atholakala kuyo yonke indawo ngaphezu kwalawo alondoloze amathambo abahuquzeli abayizibankwakazi ezesabekayo abakhulu futhi kusobala ukuthi lokhu kwamuva kwaba khona kuqala kunezinsalela zomuntu.”

Esigodini soMfula iRed Deer, kunongqimba lwezicucu zamadwala ahlangene olunamathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo. Ngaphezudlwana nje kwalokhu, kunongqimba olunombala onsundu ngokunsomi olugudla emmangweni wokunquma kwentaba. Phezu kwalolungqimba olunsundu ngokunsomi kunongqimba lwamatshe asamagabade ansundu olunemivubukulo yefern yasemazweni ashisayo, okubonisa isimo sezulu esishisayo. Ngaphezu kwalokhu, kunezingqimba eziningana zamalahle. Ukuya ngaphezulu kommango wentaba kunezingqimba zomhlaba omahhadlahhadla. Awekho amathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo kunoma yiluphi lwalezingqimba eziphakeme.

Incwadi ethi A Vanished World: The Dinosaurs of Western Canada iphawula ukuthi “zonke izinhlobo eziyinhloko eziyi-11 zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo . . . zaphela entshonalanga nkabazwe cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo.” Lokhu, kanye neqiniso lokuthi amathambo abantu awazange atholwe namathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo, kuyizizathu zokuba ososayensi abaningi baphethe ngokuthi iNkathi Yezibankwa Ezisabekayo yaphela ngaphambi kokuba abantu babekhona kulenkundla.

Nokho, kufanele kuqashelwe ukuthi kunabanye abathi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo namathambo abantu akutholakali ndawonye ngenxa yokuthi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo azizange ziphile ezindaweni lapho kwakuhlala khona abantu. Imibono enjalo engafani ibonisa ukuthi umbhalo ogciniwe wemivubukulo awembuli kalula izimfihlo zawo obala nokuthi futhi akukho noyedwa emhlabeni namuhla owazi zonke izimpendulo ngempela.

Izimpawu

Ososayensi baye baphetha ngokuthi empumalanga yeRocky Mountains eseNyakatho Melika, kwake kwaba khona ulwandle olungajulile. Lolulwandle lwalungamakhulu amakhilomitha ububanzi, kusukela kuArctic Ocean yanamuhla kuya eMexico. Eduze kogu oluyithafa kwakunamahlathi amaningi obhuku. Imivubukulo ibonisa ukuthi izinhlobo eziningi zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo zaziziningi kulesimo sendawo esihlobana nempilo yazo. Iedmontosaurus, isibankwakazi esesabekayo esinomlomo ofana nowedada esicishe sibe ngamamitha ayisishiyagalolunye ubude, ngokusobala sasiklaba ngemihlambi njengezinkomo emaxhaphozini. Izinyathelo ezilondolozwe kahle zonyawo olunezinzwane ezintathu nezingxenye zesisu ezivubukuliwe zaholela izazi zesayensi yemivubukulo kulesiphetho.

Obunye ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi ezinye izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zazibonisa imikhuba yezenhlalo. Cishe zazihlangana njengomhlambi ndawonye, mhlawumbe ngamaqembu amakhulu noma ngaphezulu. Ukuvubukulwa kwezingqimba ezilandelanayo zezidleke namaqanda endaweni efanayo kubonisa ukuthi ezinye izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zazibuyela ezidlekeni ezifanayo unyaka nonyaka. Izinsalela zezimpahla zamathambo zabantwana bezibankwakazi ezesabekayo eduze kwezidleke, kusho iScientific American, ‘kubonisa ngokuqinile imikhuba yokuhlalisana ngokokuzalana futhi kubonisa ukuba nokwenzeka kokunakekela kobuzali kwezisencane ngemva kokuchanyuselwa kwazo.’

Ngakho ubufakazi bemivubukulo bubonisa ukuthi kwakukhona amanani amakhulu ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo. Kodwa zazibukeka kanjani ngempela? Ingabe zonke zazesabeka, kuyizilwanekazi ezesabekayo—“izibankwa ezesabekayo”? Kungani zabonakala zinyamalala ngokushesha okukhulu kangaka?

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Photo Number 43494