美国：埃弗格来兹沼泽地发现史前动物遗骨

摘要：
    在美国佛罗里达州从事埃弗格来兹沼泽地恢复工程的建筑工人们近日发现了一些据信是属于古代树懒的史前遗骨。
    Prehistoric bones believed to belong to ancient sloths have been discovered by construction crews working on the massive Everglades restoration project.
    在美国佛罗里达州从事埃弗格来兹沼泽地恢复工程的建筑工人们近日发现了一些据信是属于古代树懒的史前遗骨。

    据美联社4月10日报道，美国南佛罗里达水资源管理局的发言人罗伯特·法布里希奥10日表示，这些骨骼是4月1日被一些建筑工人发现的。当时，该管理局正在迈阿密西北50英里处建造一个2000亩的雨水处理区。

    古代树懒这种身体大小如同大象、靠吃植物为生的动物是在至少4000年前灭绝的。佛罗里达自然历史博物馆的科学家们计划在星期二（4月11日）开始对发现遗骨的地点进行进一步挖掘，同时收集余下的骨骼。该博物馆的古生物学家拉塞尔·麦克卡提对此表示，这种地点常常会有新的或更有价值的发现。他说：“我们一直对此很感兴趣。”

    法布里希奥还介绍说，在该地点发现的一块下颌骨经测量后得知有2英尺长。他说，该管理局对于出土的古器物等考古发现向来都非常用心地加以保护；而这一发现也为埃弗格来兹沼泽地增加了更多的神秘色彩。

    埃弗格来兹是美国佛罗里达州南部的一片亚热带沼泽地区，那里有座大沼泽国家公园，它以其内的野生动物，特别是鳄鱼、短吻鳄和白鹭等闻名于世。

    Prehistoric bones believed to belong to ancient sloths have been discovered by construction crews working on the massive Everglades restoration project.

    The bones were found April 1 by workers with the South Florida Water Management District constructing a 2,000-acre storm water treatment area about 50 miles northwest of Miami, district spokesman Roberto Fabricio said Monday.

    The plant-eating animals the size of elephants became extinct at least 4,000 years ago. Scientists from the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville planned to begin excavating the site and collecting the bones on Tuesday.

    "It's always possible that something new or a better representation of something rare will show up in these sites," said Russell McCarty, a senior museum paleontologist. "We're always interested to see."

    Just one piece of a jaw bone measures 2 feet long, Fabricio said.

    "We take extreme care to protect Indian artifacts and archaeological finds," he said, noting that the discovery "adds a little more mystique to the Everglades."

    The Everglades project is attempting to restore natural water flows to the environmentally sensitive wetlands.
 

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