Geologists uncover fossil of ancient sea dragon in the United States
GeologistsintheUnitedStateshaveunearthedthefossilofaCretaceous-eramosasaur-sometimesreferredtoasa'seadragon'.
美國地質學家發現了白堊紀滄龍的化石，滄龍有時也被稱為「海龍」。
ThefossilisedbackboneofaMosasaurushoffmanniiwasfoundonariverbankintheMississippiRiver.
在密西西比河的一處河岸上發現了霍夫曼滄龍的脊椎化石。
Researchersonlyfoundasinglevertebraofthedinosaurwhichmeanstheycan'tbesurehowbigthemosasaurwas.
研究人員只發現了這隻恐龍的一根脊椎骨，這意味著他們無法確定這隻滄龍到底有多大。
However, theybelievetheseadragoncouldhavebeenatleast30 feet (around 9 metres) andcouldhaveevenbeenupto 50ft (15.24m) long.
然而，他們認為這條海龍至少有 30 英尺（約 9 公尺）長，甚至可能長達 50 英尺（15.24 公尺）。
That'saroundthesamelengthasadouble-deckerbus!
這大約和一輛雙層巴士的長度相同！
ThegiantsealizardruledtheoceansbackwhendinosaursdominatedEarth.
當恐龍統治地球時，巨型海蜥蜴統治著海洋。
ItlivedduringthelateCretaceousperiod, around66 to 82 million yearsago.
它生活在白堊紀晚期，距今約6,600萬至8,200萬年前。
Mosasaurswereapexpredators-thatmeanstheyweretoppredatorsintheirfoodchain.
滄龍是頂級掠食者，這意味著它們是食物鏈中的頂級掠食者。
Attheirlargesttheycouldweighupto 9,000 kilograms.
它們最大的體重可達9,000公斤。
Mosasaurs, likemostdinosaurs, wentextinctattheendoftheCretaceousperiod.
與大多數恐龍一樣，滄龍在白堊紀末期滅絕了。
GeologistJamesStarnesworksattheMississippiDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality'sOfficeofGeology.
地質學家詹姆斯·斯塔內斯 (James Starnes) 在密西西比州環境品質部地質辦公室工作。
Hespoketoabouthisfindings.
他談到了他的發現。
Hesaid:"Findingfossilsisjustplainexciting. Whenyoufindafossil, yourealizethatyouarediscoveringalostworldandananimalthatoncelivedthere."
他說：“發現化石真的非常令人興奮。當你發現一塊化石時，你會意識到你正在發現一個失落的世界和一種曾經住在那裡的動物。”
"Findingafossilbonefromarealgiantseadragonthatlivedatthesametimeasthedinosaursisreallyhardtoputintowords!"
“找到一條與恐龍生活在同一時代的真正的巨型海龍的化石骨骼，真的很難用語言來形容！”
Geologists in the United States have unearthed the fossil of a Cretaceous-era mosasaur - sometimes referred to as a 'sea dragon'.
The fossilised backbone of a Mosasaurus hoffmannii was found on a riverbank in the Mississippi River.
Researchers only found a single vertebra of the dinosaur which means they can't be sure how big the mosasaur was.
However, they believe the sea dragon could have been at least 30 feet (around 9 metres) and could have even been up to 50ft (15.24m) long.
That's around the same length as a double-decker bus!
The giant sea lizard ruled the oceans back when dinosaurs dominated Earth.
It lived during the late Cretaceous period, around 66 to 82 million years ago.
Mosasaurs were apex predators - that means they were top predators in their food chain.
At their largest they could weigh up to 9,000 kilograms.
Mosasaurs, like most dinosaurs, went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period.
Geologist James Starnes works at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality's Office of Geology.
He spoke to about his findings.
He said: "Finding fossils is just plain exciting. When you find a fossil, you realize that you are discovering a lost world and an animal that once lived there."
"Finding a fossil bone from a real giant sea dragon that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs is really hard to put into words!"
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