Izimpaphe Ziwumklamo Omangalisayo

NJENGOBA ibhakuzisa amaphiko, i-seagull indizela phezulu emafwini. Uma isiphezulu, iyaphenduphenduka intweze kalula nje emoyeni. Ngokwenza ushintsho oluncane endleleni amaphiko nesisila sayo okumi ngayo, le nyoni kuba sengathi ayinyakazi uma isemoyeni. Yini eyenza ikwazi ukwenza lezi zinto kalula nangobuchule kangaka? Ngokwezinga elikhulu, yizimpaphe zayo.

Izinyoni ziwukuphela kwezilwane ezinezimpaphe namuhla. Eziningi zinezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezimpaphe. Ezisobala kakhulu ezingaphezulu ezishiyanayo ngobude, ezenza inyoni ibukeke ibushelelezi, ikwazi ukundiza uma kunomoya. Lezi zimpaphe zihlanganisa ezamaphiko nezesisila, ezibalulekile ekundizeni. I-hummingbird ingase ibe nalezi zimpaphe ezingaphansi kwezingu-1 000, kanti idada linezingaphezu kuka-25 000.

Izimpaphe ziwumklamo omangalisayo. Isiqu sophaphe okuthiwa i-rachis, sithambile kodwa siqine ngempela. Kulesi siqu kunemigqa yamagatsha (barb) alakanyene akha inetha elibushelelezi. Amagatsha axhunyaniswa ama-barbule amancane abalelwa emakhulwini, agaxela kwamanye abese akha okusaziphu. Lapho la ma-barbule asaziphu eqaqeka, inyoni imane iwavale ngokuzicwala. Ungakwenza okufanayo ngokusebenzisa iminwe ukuze ulungise uphaphe oluhlikizekile ngesineke.

Okuphawuleka kakhulu ngezimpaphe zamaphiko ukuthi azilingani—inetha lawo licijile ngaphambili kunangemuva. Lo mklamo omuhle ovimba umoya wenza ukuba uphaphe ngalunye lufane nephiko elincane. Kanti uma ubukisisa uphaphe olukhulu lokundiza, ubona umsele ohamba engxenyeni engaphansi yesiqu salo. Lo mklamo ongasho lutho uqinisa isiqu, okusenza sikwazi ukugoba futhi sisonteke kodwa singaphuki.

Izimpaphe Zifeza Imisebenzi Eminingi

Phakathi kwezimpaphe ezingaphezulu zezinyoni eziningi kunezinde, ezincane okuthiwa ama-filoplume kanye nokuthiwa ama-powder feather. Kucatshangwa ukuthi izinzwa ezisezimpandeni zama-filoplume zixwayisa inyoni nganoma yikuphi ukuphazamiseka okwenzeka ezimpapheni ezingaphezulu futhi zingase ziyisize ukuba ikwazi ukuzwa isivinini somoya. Amagatsha ama-powder feather—okuyiwona kuphela akhula njalo futhi angaqothuki nhlobo—ayaguga abe yimpuphu ecolekile okucatshangwa ukuthi yenza izimpaphe zingangenwa amanzi.

Ngaphandle kweminye imisebenzi yazo, izimpaphe zivikela inyoni ekushiseni, emakhazeni, nasekukhanyeni oku-ultraviolet. Ngokwesibonelo, amadada abonakala ephila kahle naphezu kwamakhaza ashubisa umnkantsha omoya wasolwandle. Kanjani? Ngaphansi kwezimpaphe zawo ezingaphezulu okucishe kungangeni lutho kuzo kunogqinsi lwezimpaphe ezintofontofo ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-down, ezingaba amasentimitha angu-1,7 futhi ezimboza cishe wonke umzimba wedada. Ama-down angokwemvelo abamba ukushisa ngendlela ephumelelayo kangangokuthi ayikho into eyenziwe umuntu eke yafana nawo.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izimpaphe zezinyoni ziyavuthuka, bese kuhluma ezinye ezintsha esikhundleni sazo. Ezinyonini eziningi izimpaphe zamaphiko nezesisila zivuthuka ngendlela ehlelekile futhi enokulinganisela ukuze zikwazi njalo ukulondoloza ikhono lazo lokundiza.

“Ziklanywe Kahle Kakhulu”

Izindiza eziphephile ziwumkhiqizo womklamo, ubunjiniyela nobuciko bokwakha ngokucophelela. Kuthiwani ngezinyoni nezimpaphe? Ngenxa yokuthi abukho ubufakazi bezinsalela, kunempikiswano eshubile phakathi kwezazi zokuziphendukela kwemvelo ngemvelaphi yezimpaphe. Umagazini i-Science News uthi le mpikiswano igcwele “intshiseko yobufundamentali, “amagama aziswana,” kanye “nokushiseka kwezazi zemivubukulo.” Esinye isazi sezinto eziphilayo nokuziphendukela kwemvelo, esahlela ingqungquthela emayelana nokuziphendukela kwemvelo kwezimpaphe, savuma: “Angikaze ngiphuphe ukuthi kunendaba engokwesayensi eyayingashukumisela abantu ukuba baziphathe kabi kangaka futhi babe nenzondo.” Uma kuwukuthi izimpaphe zaba khona ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo, kungani kufanele kube nesimo esishube kangaka uma kuxoxwa ngale nqubo?

“Izimpaphe ziklanywe kahle kakhulu—yileyo inkinga,” kusho i-Manual of Ornithology—Avian Structure and Function yaseYale University. Izimpaphe azibonisi ukuthi ziyoke zidinge ukuthuthukiswa. Empeleni, “izinsalela ezindala kakhulu zezimpaphe ezaziwayo zibonakala zingezamuva kangangokuthi kunzima ukuzihlukanisa nezimpaphe zezinyoni eziphila manje.”a Noma kunjalo, imfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo ifundisa ukuthi izimpaphe kufanele ukuba ziwumphumela woshintsho olwenzeka kancane kancane kulokho okwahluma kuqala esikhunjeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, le Manual ithi “kungenzeka izimpaphe zashintsha zazivumelanisa nezimo ngendlela encomekayo kuzo zonke izigaba eziphakathi.”

Kalula nje, ngisho noma sikucabanga nje, ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwakungeke kuveze uphaphe ngaphandle kwalapho isigaba ngasinye ochungechungeni loshintsho olude olwazenzakalela ekwakhekeni kophaphe sawathuthukisa kakhulu amathuba okusinda kwesilwane. Ngisho nezazi eziningi zokuziphendukela kwemvelo zikuthola kungacabangeki ukuthi okuthile okuyinkimbinkimbi futhi okusebenza kahle njengophaphe kwakungavela ngale ndlela.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma kuwukuthi izimpaphe zathuthuka kancane kancane phakathi nesikhathi eside, kufanele kutholakale izinsalela zezinhlobo zazo ezisezigabeni eziphakathi. Kodwa azikho eziye zatholakala, ngaphandle kwezinsalela zezimpaphe eziphelele. Le Manual ithi: “Okudabukisayo ngombono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo ukuthi izimpaphe ziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu.”

Ukuze Izinyoni Zindize Kudingeka Okungaphezu Kwezimpaphe

Ukuklanywa kahle kwezimpaphe kumane nje kuyinkinga eyodwa izazi zokuziphendukela kwemvelo ezibhekene nayo, ngoba cishe zonke izingxenye zenyoni ziklanyelwe ukundiza. Ngokwesibonelo, inyoni inamathambo alula, angenamnkantsha kanye nesimiso sokuphefumula esimangalisayo nemisipha ekhethekile ukuze ikwazi ukubhakuzisa amaphiko ayo futhi iwalawule. Inanemisipha eminingana yokulawula ukuma kophaphe ngalunye. Inanezinzwa ezixhumanisa umsipha ngamunye nobuchopho bayo obuncane kodwa obumangalisayo obuklanywe kusengaphambili ukuba bulawule zonke lezi zimiso ngasikhathi sinye, ngokuzenzakalelayo futhi ngokunembile. Yebo, ukuze inyoni indize, kudingeka zonke lezi zingxenye eziyinkimbinkimbi futhi ezimangalisayo, hhayi izimpaphe nje kuphela.

Khumbula futhi ukuthi inyoni ngayinye iqala iyingqamuzana elincane elinazo zonke iziyalezo ezidingekayo ukuze ikhule futhi ibe nomuzwa ongokwemvelo ozoyisiza ukuba indize ngolunye usuku. Ingabe konke lokhu kwakungavela ngochungechunge lwezingozi ezaba nomphumela omuhle? Noma ingabe incazelo elula iyona enengqondo futhi evumelana nesayensi—yokuthi izinyoni nezimpaphe zazo zibonisa ukuthi zaklanywa uMenzi ohlakaniphe kakhulu? Ubufakazi buyaziphendulela.—Roma 1:20.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 24]

“UBUFAKAZI” OBUWUMGUNYATHI

Obunye “ubufakazi” bezinsalela ezatholakala, obake babhekwa njengobufakazi obuvelele bokuthi izinyoni zavela kwezinye izilwane ngenqubo yokuziphendukela kwemvelo, muva nje buye bavezwa njengobuwumgunyathi. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1999 umagazini i-National Geographic wawunesihloko esasikhuluma ngezinsalela zesilwane esinezimpaphe nomsila ofana nowesibankwakazi. Lo magazini wathi lesi silwane “siwubufakazi obungatholakali obuqand’ ikhanda enqubweni eyinkimbinkimbi ehlobanisa izibankwakazi nezinyoni.” Kodwa kwatholakala ukuthi lezi zinsalela ezitholakele zaziwumgunyathi, ngoba kwakuhlanganiswe izinsalela zezilwane ezimbili ezingafani. Empeleni, abukho “ubufakazi obungatholakali” obunjalo obake batholakala.

[Umthombo]

O. Louis Mazzatenta/National Geographic Image Collection

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 25]

Okubonwa Yiso Lenyoni

Imibala yezimpaphe egqamile futhi ngokuvamile enhlobonhlobo ibahlaba umxhwele abantu. Kodwa izimpaphe zingabonakala zikhanga ngisho nakakhulu kwezinye izinyoni. Ezinye izinyoni zinezinhlobo ezine zamangqamuzana okuthiwa ama-cone azwela imibala emehlweni azo, kuyilapho abantu benezintathu kuphela. Leli thuluzi elengeziwe lokubona lenza izinyoni zikwazi ukubona ukukhanya oku-ultraviolet, abantu abangakuboni. Izinhlobo ezithile zezinyoni ezingamaduna nezinsikazi zibonakala zifana kubantu, kodwa izimpaphe zeduna ziveza ukukhanya oku-ultraviolet ngendlela ehlukile kwezensikazi. Izinyoni ziyakwazi ukubona umehluko, okuzisiza ukuba zikwazi ukubona ezingaba abangane.

[Umdwebo ekhasini 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Igatsha

I-barbule

Isiqu

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Uphaphe olungaphezulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

I-“filoplume”

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

I-“powder feather”

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Uphaphe i-“down”

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

I-“gannet”