Izilo Lapho Zisazulazula EYurophu
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-ITALY
NGO-1932 izisebenzi ezazakha umgwaqo zazimba eduze naseColosseum eRoma lapho enye indoda ishaya okuthile okuqinile. Kwakuyizinyo nogebhezi lwendlovu. Akuzona lezi zinto kuphela ezatholakala. Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, kwatholakala izinsalela zamathambo angaba ngu-140 eRoma namaphethelo, kanti ezokuqala kuthiwa zatholakala ngekhulu le-17.
Abantu babecabanga ukuthi la mathambo awezindlovu ezathunyelwa eRoma lasendulo noma awalezo ezafika noJenene waseCarthage uHannibal e-Italy. UG. B. Pianciani, umfundisi wekhulu le-19 nowayenguprofesa weSayensi Yemvelo eViterbo, wawuphikisa lowo mbono. Ngenxa yokuthi amaningi ala mathambo atholakala ezindaweni ezazibe nezikhukhula, waphetha ngokuthi ayengawezilwane ezazifele kwezinye izindawo kodwa amanzi azikhukhulela kwenye indawo.
Izinsalela eziningi zezindlovu ezatholakala e-Italy akuzona ezezindlovu ezikhona namuhla. Kunalokho, zingezohlobo lwendlovu engasekho okuthiwa i-Elephas antiquus, noma indlovu yasendulo. (Bheka ikhasi 15.) Lesi silo cishe sasinamazinyo aqondile futhi sasingaba amamitha amahlanu ukuphakama emahlombe, okusenza siphakame cishe ngamamitha amabili kunezindlovu zanamuhla.
Zazivame kangakanani lezo zilo? Umlando wezinsalela ubonisa ukuthi zake zazulazula kulo lonke elaseYurophu naseNgilandi, njengoba kwakunjalo nangezihlobo zazo zasendulo okuthiwa ama-mammoth. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinsalela zezindlovu azitholakali zizodwa, kodwa kunalokho, zitholakala eqoqweni elinezinsalela zezinye izinhlobo zezilwane, ezinye zazo ezaziyizitha ngokwemvelo.
Kusuka Ezimpisini Kuya Ezimvubwini
Izinsalela ezatholakala eLazio, indawo esenkabeni ye-Italy ehlanganisa neRoma, zibonisa ukuthi le ndawo yake yaba nesimo sezulu esinjengesase-Afrika, ngoba kwake kwaba nezimvubu, izindluzele ngisho namakati amakhulu ayezulazula kule ndawo. Empeleni, izinsalela zekati elithile, elabizwa ngokuthi ingwenya yaseMonte Sacro, zatholakala enkabeni yeRoma. Eqoqweni lasePolledrara ngaphandle kwedolobha, kuye kwavunjululwa izinsalela ezingaphezu kuka-9 000 zezilwane ezihlukahlukene: izindlovu zasendulo, izinyathi, izinyamazane, izinkawu okuthiwa amaBarbary, obhejane nama-auroch—izinkabi ezinkulu ezaqothulwa eminyakeni engaba amakhulu amane edlule. Kunomnyuziyamu kuleyo ndawo onebhuloho lapho izivakashi zingabona khona lezi zinsalela endaweni yazo engokwemvelo.—Bheka ikhasi 16.
Kunomhume eduze nasePalermo, eSicily, owawugcwele inqwaba yezinsalela, kuhlanganise namathambo omile ezinyamazane, izinkabi, izindlovu nezimvubu zobudala obuhlukahlukene—ngisho nombungu wemvubu imbala. Empeleni, kwadayiswa amathani angu-20 ezinsalela ngezinyanga eziyisithupha kuphela ngemva kokutholakala kwale ndawo!
ENingizimu yeNgilandi, isazi sezinsalela uJ. Manson Valentine sathola amaqoqo ezinsalela anezimvithi zamathambo amakhulu ezilwane eziningi ezifanayo, kuhlanganise izimpisi namabhere. Kungani lezi zinsalela eziningi zatholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene kangaka?
Abanye ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi izimo lezi zilwane ezafa ngaphansi kwazo zibonisa ukuthi kwakunenhlekelele yemvelo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyini imbangela noma izimbangela zokuqothulwa kwezilwane eziningi kangaka, umphumela wakho wafinyelela ezindaweni ezikude ezihlanganisa izwekazi laseYurophu, iBrithani, iSiberia ne-Alaska.
Ngenxa yomlando wezinsalela, siyakwazi ukubona ngeso lengqondo izwe elalihluke ngokuphelele kulokho esikwaziyo namuhla. Empeleni, e-Italy nje kuphela, uma ungahlehlela emuva emlandweni, ungase ucabange ukuthi usendle e-Afrika.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 17]
ZIYINI IZINSALELA?
Uma uqala ukuzibona, izinsalela zingase zifane namathambo avamile. Empeleni, ziwumphumela wokusebenza kwamakhemikhali okwenzeka ngaphambi kokuba izidumbu zezilwane zibole.
Enye indlela yokusebenza kwala makhemikhali ukuxubana kwezinsalela namaminerali. Kule nqubo amathambo emvelo athathelwa indawo ngokwengxenye noma ngokuphelele amaminerali atholakala odakeni. Ngakho, ukuze amathambo abe izinsalela, kudingeka izimo ezithile zemvelo. Lezi zimo zihlanganisa inqwaba yodaka nokugqibeka ngokushesha kwezinsalela, kanye nokungawohloki kwazo. Ngaphansi kwezimo ezivamile, izidumbu zezilwane ezingadliwanga zigaywa amagciwane kanye nezakhi zemvelo namakhemikhali, njengomoya namanzi. Ngakho-ke, ukwakheka kwezinsalela kuyinqubo engavamile.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 17]
Ama-mammoth Enyakatho Nenkabazwe
Umlando wezinsalela ubonisa ukuthi ama-mammoth anoboya obukhulu ayezulazula endaweni enkulu, ehlanganisa i-Asia, iYurophu neNyakatho Melika. EYurophu, kubonakala sengathi lezi zilwane zazihamba zize ziyofinyelela emaphethelweni eningizimu ye-Italy.
Ama-mammoth, ayengacishe alingane nezindlovu zanamuhla zase-Asia, ayenoboya obungamasentimitha angu-50 ubude, kanti amaduna ayenamazinyo amade agobile eyangaba amamitha amahlanu ubude. Kuye kwatholakala amazinyo ama-mammoth amaningi kakhulu eSiberia—kangangokuthi empeleni aye athunyelwa eChina naseYurophu kusukela enkathini ephakathi.
[Umthombo]
Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum
[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]
Iqoqo lezinsalela zasePolledrara
[Umthombo]
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 15]
Top: Museo di Paleontologia dell’Università degli Studi “La Sapienza” di Roma; bottom: © Comune di Roma - Sovraintendenza Beni Culturali (SBCAS; fald. 90, fasc. 4, n. inv. 19249)