中英對照讀新聞》Australia’s largest dinosaur identified as new species 澳洲最大的恐龍被認定為新品種

古生物學家表示，在澳洲內陸發現的南方泰坦巨龍已被認定為新物種，是地球上體型最大的恐龍之一。（圖取自facebook.com/EromangaNaturalHistoryMuseum）

◎陳成良

A gigantic dinosaur discovered in Australia’s outback has been identified as a new species and recognised as one of the largest to ever roam the Earth, according to palaeontologists.

據古生物學家表示，在澳洲內陸發現的一種巨型恐龍已被認定為新物種，是曾在地球上出沒的體型最大恐龍之一。

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The Australotitan cooperensis, part of the titanosaur family that lived about 100 million years ago, has finally been named and described 15 years after its bones were first uncovered.

「Australotitan Cooperensis」屬於泰坦巨龍家族，生活在距今約1億年前，距其骨骼首度被發現15年之後，終於得到正名及描述。

It is estimated to have stood at 5-6.5 metres high and measured 25-30 metres in length － which would make it Australia’s biggest dinosaur.

據推估，牠站立時身高可達5至6.5公尺，身長則為25至30公尺，是澳洲體型最大的恐龍。

"Based on the preserved limb size comparisons, this new titanosaur is estimated to be in the top five largest in the world," said Robyn Mackenzie, a director of the Eromanga Natural History Museum.

「根據存留下來的肢骨大小來推估，這種新的泰坦巨龍據估計是地球上體型最大的5種恐龍之一」，伊羅曼加自然歷史博物館主任瑪肯西說。

The fossilised bones were found on Mackenzie’s family farm in 2006 about 1,000 kilometres west of Brisbane in the Eromanga Basin.

2006年，在布里斯班以西約1000公里伊羅曼加盆地的瑪肯西家族農場中，發現這些骨骼化石。

新聞辭典

outback︰澳洲內陸、邊疆地區。例句︰Most aborigines took refuge in the barren outback.（大部分的原住民避居於荒蕪的內陸地帶。）

palaeontologist：名詞，古生物學家。例句：The palaeontologist claimed that he had found a unique dinosaur fossil.（這位古生物學家聲稱，他已發現了一塊罕見的恐龍化石。）

roam：動詞，漫遊、閒逛。例句：Herds of cattle roamed at will over the plain.（牛群在平原上自由自在地走動。）

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