2016考研英语阅读每日精选：新西兰发现爬行蝙蝠化石

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    新西兰发现爬行蝙蝠化石
    Fossilised remains1 of a new bat species, which lived 16 million years ago,
walked on four limbs and was three times larger than today's average bat, have
been discovered in New Zealand. The fossils were found near Central Otago on
South Island, in sediment2 left over from a vastprehistoric3 body of water known
as Lake Manuherikia, which was part of warmer subtropical rainforest during the
early Miocene era, between 16 and 19-million-years-ago.
    The new species, Mystacina miocenalis, was described today in the journal
PLOS ONE, and is related to another bat, Mystacina tuberculata, which still
lives in New Zealand's old growth forests.
    "Our discovery shows for the first time that Mystacina bats have been
present in New Zealand forupwards4 of 16 million years, residing in habitats
with very similar plant life and food sources," says lead author and vertebrate
palaeontologist, Associate Professor Suzanne Hand from the University of New
South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.
    New Zealand's only native terrestrial mammals are three species of bat,
including two belonging to the Mystacina genus - one of which was last sighted
in the 1960s. They are known asburrowing5 bats because they forage6 on the
ground under leaf-litter and snow, as well as in the air, scuttling7 on their
wrists and backward-facing feet, while keeping their wings tightly furled.
    These bats were believed to have an ancient history in New Zealand, but
until now, the oldest fossil of a Mystacina bat in New Zealand was from a cave
in South Island, dating to 17,500 years ago. This latest discovery forces a
rethink of when these peculiar8, walking bats first crossed the ditch, arriving
from what is present-day Australia.
    "This helps us understand the capacity of bats to establish populations on
islands and the climatic conditions required for this to happen," says Associate
Professor Hand.
    "Bats are important pollinators and seed dispersers that keep forests
healthy. Understanding the connectivity between the bat faunas9 of different
landmasses is important for evaluating biosecurity threats and conservation
priorities for fragile island ecosystems10."
   
                    

kyone

　　1 remains
    n.剩余物，残留物;遗体，遗迹
    参考例句：
    He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
    The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
    　　2 sediment
    n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)
    参考例句：
    The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。
    Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。
    3 prehistoric
    adj.(有记载的)历史以前的，史前的，古老的
    参考例句：
    They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
    It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic
equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。
    4 upwards
    adv.向上，在更高处...以上
    参考例句：
    The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
    The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
    5 burrowing
    v.挖掘(洞穴)，挖洞( burrow的现在分词 );翻寻
    参考例句：
    What are you burrowing around in my drawer for? 你在我抽屉里乱翻什么? 来自《简明英汉词典》
    The forepaws are also used for burrowing and for dragging heavier logs.
它们的前爪还可以用来打洞和拖拽较重的树干。 来自辞典例句
    　　6 forage
    n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草;v.搜寻，翻寻
    参考例句：
    They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
    Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。
    7 scuttling
    n.船底穿孔，打开通海阀(沉船用)v.使船沉没( scuttle的现在分词 );快跑，急走
    参考例句：
    I could hear an animal scuttling about in the undergrowth.
我可以听到一只动物在矮树丛中跑来跑去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    First of all, scuttling Yu Lung (this yuncheng Hejin) , flood discharge.
大禹首先凿开龙门(今运城河津市)，分洪下泄。 来自互联网
    　　8 peculiar
    adj.古怪的，异常的;特殊的，特有的
    参考例句：
    He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
    He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
    　　9 faunas
    动物群
    参考例句：
    Brackish waters generally support only a small range of faunas.
咸水水域通常只能存活为数不多的几种动物。
    We shall appreciate this difficulty more clearly, by looking to certain
existing faunas and floras. 通过观察某些现存的动物群和植物群，我们就能更清楚地了解这种困难了。
    　　10 ecosystems
    n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
    参考例句：
    There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the
forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert.
马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句