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So now, well, we are looking at other… we are, we are trying to understand the biology of sauropods, comparing their fossils to the anatomy of modern animals to get a better idea of how they lived.
現在，我們在看其它……我們正在努力弄明白蜥腳類動物的生物性質，把它們的化石和現代動物的解剖結構作比較，以更好地理解它們是怎樣生存的。
What we've found is that sauropods were experts at conserving energy.
我們發(fā)現，蜥腳類動物很擅長儲能。
They had enormous stomach capacity, the ability to digest food over a long period, converting it to energy at a slower pace, saving it for later.
它們的胃容量非常大，能夠長時間消化食物，以緩慢的速度把食物轉化成能量，供以后利用。
For animals with small stomachs, it takes lots of energy to constantly look for food and then digest it.
對胃容量小的動物來說，它們要不斷覓食并消化食物，這也是非常耗能的。
With larger stomachs and slower digestion, you don't need as much energy. Joseph?
有了更大的胃且消化得更慢，你就不需要這么多能量了。約瑟夫？
Does… do scientists actually know about sauropods from looking at… I mean, how much can we actually learn looking at some ancient bones compared to all we can learn from modern animals?
科學家們了解蜥腳類動物的方式是……我是說，和我們能從現代動物身上學到的知識相比，我們究竟能從那些古老的骨頭中學到什么？
And, comparisons between animals that lived millions of years apart?
把相隔了幾百萬年的動物放在一起對比？
Well, it just seems… more like guessing.
這看起來更像是靠猜的。
There's always some guesswork when studying extinct animals.
在研究已經絕種的動物時，總會有些猜測成分的。
But that's exactly what leads to discoveries, a hypothesis, a type of guess is made.
但一個假說，一種猜測也正導致了重大發(fā)現。
We test the hypothesis by looking for evidence to support it.
我們通過尋找證據支持來測試這個假說。
Then some questions are answered, which may lead to new questions.
有些問題解決了，可能會引發(fā)新的問題。
For example, let's look at one of these comparisons.
舉個例子，看看其中一組比較。
We know sauropods couldn't chew food.
我們知道蜥腳類動物無法咀嚼食物。
Their skulls show they had no chewing muscles.
它們的頭骨顯示，它們不具有咀嚼肌。
Lots of modern animals, like birds and reptiles, also can't chew food.
很多現代動物，像鳥類和爬行動物，也不能咀嚼食物。
They need to swallow it whole.
它們得整個吞下去。
But modern animals have an interesting aid for digesting food.
但現代動物有個有趣的幫手，能幫它們消化食物。
They swallow stones, stones that are used to help grind up the food before it's actually digested in the stomach.
它們會吞下石頭，在食物真正進入胃部被消化以前，這些石頭有助于把食物磨碎。
These stones are called gastroliths.
這些石頭稱為胃石。
