Scientists found the first dinosaur bone in Antarctica. A man found the bone in 1985.

科學家在南極洲發現了第一塊恐龍骨骼。一名男子於 1985 年發現了這塊骨骼。

Dr. Mike Thomson found a bone on James Ross Island. He did not know it was a dinosaur. The bone stayed in a museum for 40 years. Then, Dr. Mark Evans looked at it and saw it was special.

Mike Thomson 博士在詹姆斯·羅斯島發現了一塊骨骼。他當時不知道那是恐龍的。這塊骨骼在博物館中存放了 40 年。隨後，Mark Evans 博士對其進行觀察，發現它很特別。

Professor Paul Barrett studied the bone. It is from a dinosaur called a Titanosaur. This dinosaur ate plants. It was 6 or 7 meters long. The dinosaur lived 82 million years ago.

Paul Barrett 教授研究了這塊骨骼。它來自於一種稱為「泰坦巨龍」的恐龍。這種恐龍以植物為食。它的長度約 6 或 7 公尺。這種恐龍生活在 8,200 萬年前。

Antarctica was not cold then. It had warm forests and volcanoes. The dinosaur probably walked from Antarctica to Australia and New Zealand.

當時的南極洲並不寒冷。那裡有溫暖的森林和火山。這隻恐龍可能是從南極洲步行前往澳洲和紐西蘭的。

This bone helps us learn about old animals. Scientists think they will find more bones as the ice melts.

這塊骨骼有助於我們了解古代動物。科學家認為隨著冰川融化，他們將會發現更多骨骼。

A fossilized back bone, collected in 1985, has finally been identified as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica.

一件於1985年收集的脊椎化石，終於被確認為南極有史以來發現的第一塊恐龍骨。

The bone was found on James Ross Island by Dr. Mike Thomson from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) while he was mapping rock layers. Although his notes described it as a 'large reptile bone,' the specimen was not officially classified for nearly forty years. Recently, collections manager Dr. Mark Evans noticed the bone and suggested that it likely belonged to a dinosaur.

這塊骨頭是由英國南極調查局 (BAS) 的 Mike Thomson 博士在繪製岩層圖期間，於詹姆斯羅斯島發現的。雖然他的筆記將其描述為「大型爬行類骨骼」，但這件樣本在將近四十年來一直未被正式分類。最近，收藏經理 Mark Evans 博士注意到這塊骨頭，並建議它很可能屬於恐龍。

Later analysis by Professor Paul Barrett from the Natural History Museum confirmed that the bone is a tail vertebra from a Titanosaur. While Titanosaurs are usually known as giant plant-eating dinosaurs, this specific individual was only six to seven meters long, which is much smaller than others in its group. The fossil comes from the Santa Marta Formation, which dates back about 82 million years. Experts believe the animal's body moved into the ocean after it died, where it eventually turned into a fossil in the seabed.

隨後由自然歷史博物館的 Paul Barrett 教授分析，確認這塊骨頭是一隻泰坦龍的尾椎。雖然泰坦龍通常被視為巨大的植食性恐龍，但這個個體僅有六至七公尺長，比同類群組的其他恐龍小得多。這件化石來自聖瑪塔層 (Santa Marta Formation)，年代可追溯至約 8,200 萬年前。專家認為該動物死亡後，身體移入海洋，最終在海底變成化石。

This discovery helps scientists understand how dinosaurs moved across the Southern Hemisphere. Professor Barrett emphasized that the presence of titanosaurs in Antarctica suggests they may have traveled to Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, this find proves that prehistoric Antarctica had temperate forests and a warm climate caused by volcanoes, which is completely different from the icy environment we see today.

這次發現有助於科學家了解恐龍如何在南半球遷移。Barrett 教授強調，南極出現泰坦龍顯示牠們可能曾經前往澳洲與紐西蘭。此外，這次發現證明史前南極曾有溫帶森林以及由火山引起的溫暖氣候，與我們今日所見的冰封環境完全不同。

The identification of this bone provides important information about ancient wildlife and suggests that more fossils may be found as the Antarctic ice melts.

確認這塊骨頭的身份，為古代野生動物提供了重要資訊，並顯示隨著南極冰川融化，可能會發現更多化石。

A fossilized vertebra, collected in 1985, has been formally identified as the first dinosaur bone discovered in Antarctica.

一件於 1985 年採集到的脊椎化石，已正式被鑑定為在南極發現的第一塊恐龍骨。

The specimen was recovered from James Ross Island by Dr. Mike Thomson of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) during a mission to map rock strata. Although documented in field notebooks as a 'vertebra of large reptile,' the specimen remained unclassified within the BAS geology collection for approximately four decades. Its significance was recently recognized by collections manager Dr. Mark Evans, whose preliminary assessment suggested a dinosaurian origin.

該標本是由英國南極調查局 (BAS) 的 Mike Thomson 博士在一次繪製岩層圖的任務期間，於詹姆斯-羅斯島發現的。儘管在野外筆記中被記錄為「大型爬行動物的脊椎」，但該標本在 BAS 的地質收藏中約四十年來一直未被分類。直到最近，收藏經理 Mark Evans 博士才意識到其重要性，其初步評估認為該標本起源於恐龍。

Subsequent analysis by Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum confirmed the specimen as a caudal vertebra belonging to the Titanosauria. This group is characterized by massive herbivorous sauropods; however, the dimensions of this specific vertebra indicate an individual approximately six to seven meters in length, significantly smaller than the group's larger representatives. The fossil originated from the Santa Marta Formation, a marine layer dating to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 82 million years ago. It is hypothesized that the carcass was transported to a marine environment post-mortem, where it underwent fossilization within seabed sediments.

隨後由自然歷史博物館的 Paul Barrett 教授進行分析，確認該標本為屬於泰坦巨龍類 (Titanosauria) 的尾椎。該類群的特徵為巨大的食草龍頸類恐龍；然而，該特定脊椎的尺寸顯示，該個體長度約為六至七公尺，明顯小於該類群中較大的代表。該化石源自聖瑪塔層 (Santa Marta Formation)，這是一個約 8,200 萬年前白堊紀晚期的海洋層。目前假設該屍體在死後被運送到海洋環境，隨後在海底沉積物中發生化石化。

From a biogeographical perspective, this discovery facilitates a better understanding of dinosaur dispersal across the Southern Hemisphere. Professor Barrett posits that the presence of titanosaurs in Antarctica suggests a potential migratory corridor to Australia and New Zealand, where evidence of this group is currently sparse or absent. Furthermore, the find corroborates the existence of a prehistoric Antarctic ecosystem characterized by temperate forests and a climate warmed by volcanic activity, contrasting sharply with the contemporary glacial environment.

從生物地理學角度來看，這一發現有助於更好地理解恐龍在南半球的分佈。Barrett 教授認為，南極發現泰坦巨龍暗示可能存在一條通往澳洲與紐西蘭的遷徙走廊，而目前這些地區關於該類群的證據稀少或不存在。此外，這次發現證實了史前南極曾存在一個以溫帶森林為特徵、受火山活動影響而氣候溫暖的生態系統，與當前的冰川環境形成鮮明對比。

The identification of this titanosaur vertebra provides critical data on Late Cretaceous biodiversity and suggests that further paleontological evidence may emerge as Antarctic ice sheets retreat.

鑑定出這塊泰坦巨龍脊椎化石，為白堊紀晚期的生物多樣性提供了關鍵數據，並暗示隨著南極冰蓋退縮，可能會出現更多古生物學證據。